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A royal commentator has said reports that Prince Harry and King Charles III engaged in an ice-breaker phone call on the monarch's 75th birthday have led to "hope" that future relations among the royal family may be "friendlier" moving forward.
Speaking about the relationships within the monarchy on Wednesday, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Newsweek that though a "rift" has been made public, Charles has tried to "keep the door open" for a reconciliation.
On Wednesday, Britain's Daily Telegraph published a report saying that Harry called his father to wish him a happy 75th birthday, with his wife, Meghan Markle.
The paper described the call as a "turning point" in the father and son's relationship after what it said was a "lengthy spell during which the two have barely spoken."
"The chat marked a notable shift in tone," the paper reported. "Even ending with an agreement to speak again next week."
Newsweek approached representatives of Prince Harry and Buckingham Palace via email for confirmation.
In interviews promoting his memoir, earlier in the year, Harry has voiced his own willingness to reconcile with his family but made clear an apology would need to be forthcoming and a willingness for them to take accountability for issues he believed they caused.
"The 75th birthday of the longest serving Prince of Wales in our history to become king is unquestionably a milestone," Fitzwilliams said of Charles.
"There is no doubt that there is a deep rift in the royal family which has become disastrously public. Charles has, however, ensured that the door has been kept open in case relations with the Sussexes improve."
On whether Harry and Meghan should have traveled to London to attend a small celebratory gathering held at Clarence House on Tuesday—also attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales—Fitzwilliams said it would have been a "controversial" move.
"However, reports that the call which Harry made to wish his father a happy birthday went well, that he also spoke to Meghan and that Archie and Lili sang happy birthday to him in a video, has led to hopes that future relations will be friendlier," he said.
"This would be of enormous benefit to the king. The monarchy's low popularity among the young has been linked to the rift with the Sussexes. It might also help [Harry and Meghan's] ratings which are low both in Britain and the United States, as many deplore their attacks on the royal family. Mutual trust needs to be restored, let us hope this is a beginning."
The call would mark a break in royal tension, which was on display at the time of the king's coronation in May.
Harry returned to Britain for the historic ceremony, marking the first royal event he had attended with members of his family since the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
In the intervening months, the prince had published his memoir, Spare, in which he made a number of allegations and revelations against the royals.
While Harry attended the Westminster Abbey service, he was not seen publicly interacting with his father or brother, Prince William, on the day and he left London without taking part in the official coronation photoshoot.
The prince returned to Britain in June to take part in a hearing for one of his media lawsuits, and again in September to attend a charity event on route to the Invictus Games in Germany. The royal is not believed to have seen his father during these brief visits.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more