As the royal family gets ready to lead the nation in marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day, King Charles is said to have just one sincere wish: that the focus this week keeps firmly on remembrance, rather than renewed royal divisions.
The commemorations, which start Monday and complete in a national service at Westminster Abbey, come just days after the Duke of Sussex gave a surprise interview to the BBC.
“The King, Queen and other members of the royal family are much looking forward to all the week’s VE Day events,” a palace aide said on Sunday.
“They will unite with the rest of the nation and the Commonwealth in celebrating and giving thanks to the wartime generation, whose selfless devotion to duty should stand as an enduring example to us all.”
The week’s events, which include a military parade through London, a tea party for veterans at Buckingham Palace, and a celebratory concert at Horse Guards Parade, are predicted to be attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as other senior working royals.
King Charles, still undergoing canc3r treatment, is seemingly determined to be present at key moments, including the national service at Westminster Abbey on May 8.
Aides have stressed that, out of deep respect for the veterans in attendance, Buckingham Palace hopes “nothing will detract or distract” from the tone of remembrance.
Prince Harry’s interview
That hope may be hard to confirm following Harry’s interview, in which the prince reported his legal defeat over UK security as a “good old-fashioned establishment stitch-up” and said he had “no idea” how much time his father might have left.
Visibly emotional, Harry also repeated his desire for reconciliation, but the interview may have done more harm than good.
“I would love reconciliation with my family, there’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” he told the network.
“Life is precious, I don’t know how much longer my father has, he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.”
The comments come at a particularly sensitive time. The King has made only a stricted return to public life after announcing his canc3r diagnosis earlier this year, and while his commitment to duty keeps unwavering, his health is being closely controlled.
For Charles, this week is not only a chance to honour the memory of his grandfather, King George VI, and all those who served in the Second World War, it is also his first major VE Day as monarch.
Will Harry attend the events?
Prince Harry, who now lives in California with Meghan and their two children, is not predicted to attend any of the events.
But in a subtle sign of support, Meghan shared a black-and-white photo on Instagram over the weekend, showing Harry barefoot in a garden, carrying Princess Lilibet on his shoulders while holding hands with Prince Archie.
Meanwhile, the focus for King Charles is firmly on those who served.
On Monday, he and the Queen will organize a tea party for veterans, some of whom are now in their late nineties and making what could be their final visit to the capital for such an occasion.
The day will start with a military parade through central London, watched from the Queen Victoria Memorial by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, dignitaries, and senior royals.
