“Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father,” a royal insider tells PEOPLE
Prince Harry’s efforts to safeguard his wife and children have caused a further rift with his father, King Charles.
When the Duke of Sussex, 39, returned to the UK in May for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, one of his most cherished accomplishments, his father was notably absent from the event.
The two failed to meet during Harry’s visit, with the prince’s spokesperson citing the King’s “busy schedule.” However, insiders close to Harry suggest that there’s a deeper reason for the distance. Harry hoped to discuss his ongoing legal battle for security, which he’s been fighting for over four years and believes his father has the authority to address. (Buckingham Palace declined to comment on security matters, but a palace insider tells PEOPLE that the idea that Charles controls Harry’s security is “completely false.”)
The public family tension, which began in 2020 when Harry and Meghan Markle distanced themselves from royal duties, has been marked by harsh criticism and unresolved issues. But security remains the main point of contention, according to multiple sources close to Harry.
Even though the father and son had a positive interaction in February following King Charles’s cancer diagnosis, their relationship has since worsened. Those close to Harry say the King no longer answers his son’s calls or responds to his letters.
“A friend of Harry’s shared, ‘He gets told the King is ‘unavailable right now.’ His calls are ignored. He’s tried reaching out about the King’s health, but those messages go unanswered as well.'”
Amid the growing distance within the family, Prince Harry is deeply worried about the well-being of his wife, Meghan, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Sources reveal that he has repeatedly reached out to his father, seeking assistance.
“Harry feels scared and believes that his father is the only one who can take action,” a royal insider shared with PEOPLE. Another source close to the matter added, “Harry is resolute in ensuring his family’s safety at any cost.”
The tension has now reached a breaking point. During the ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial, aired on July 25 in the U.K., Prince Harry expressed his fears that the negative media coverage could lead to a violent incident targeting Meghan.
“One individual is all it takes,” he explained, citing these “genuine concerns” as the reason for not bringing Meghan, 42, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, back to the U.K.
The Duke of Sussex has also taken legal action, although he was unsuccessful in his attempt to have his taxpayer-funded security reinstated earlier this year. (He intends to appeal the decision.)
The reason preventing Harry from obtaining the protection he desires remains a source of heated debate. While the monarch holds no political power in the U.K., the responsibility for providing police protection falls to the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC), which acts on behalf of the U.K. government.
Harry, who had offered to pay for the police protection himself, also had that proposal turned down in court. He believes that, as King, Charles could step in and ensure the necessary protection is granted.
This disagreement has led to a deep rift between Harry and Charles, with sources claiming the tension has shifted from frustration to total “silence” from the King.
Sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have established a new life in Montecito, California, say the palace is mindful of what happened when Princess Diana left royal life — and instantly eclipsed the institution.
“Charles’ fear is a repeat of the past,” the insider says. “When his wife divorced the institution, she took the headlines, overshadowed his work and became a global superstar. Seeing his son leave with his wife was not part of the plan.”
Safety has always been a cornerstone of why Meghan and Harry say they decided to leave. The Duchess of Sussex has cited negative press and the lack of royal support during her time as a working royal as reasons she contemplated suicide.
The couple “didn’t feel they had a choice,” says the friend. “The only option was to leave — for their sanity. I do think they thought if they got out of this bubble, there would be less focus on them.”
At the Sandringham Summit in January 2020, where their future as non-working royals was determined, Prince Harry left the meeting — attended by future King Charles, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth, and palace staff — with the assurance that their security would be maintained during their transition. Court documents later revealed that the Queen, who passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, had considered it “imperative” for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to have “effective security” after stepping down. However, just weeks later, Harry was informed that their police protection had been revoked.
“The Queen made it clear that effective security was necessary due to the threats against them, but somewhere along the line there was interference,” a royal insider claims.
The decision to downgrade their security was ultimately made by RAVEC, a committee that includes the Home Office (the U.K.’s equivalent of Homeland Security), the Metropolitan Police, and the Royal Household. While the King does not have direct involvement in RAVEC, his staff is part of the committee. A government spokesperson noted that they provide “rigorous and proportionate” security and do not disclose specifics “as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”
Harry, whose team highlights that the government’s threat assessment for the Sussexes has not been updated since 2019, believes his father is the main barrier to receiving adequate protection, although the palace disagrees with this viewpoint.
The decision from RAVEC could have significant consequences on a global scale. If the U.K. acknowledges the threat, other nations might adopt similar protective measures for the couple.
With no more financial assistance from the King and forced to pay for their own security, Harry and Meghan quickly turned to new revenue streams when they relocated to the U.S. in 2020. This included a profitable book deal for Harry’s 2023 memoir Spare and their 2022 Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan.
According to those close to them, a major reason for their move to California was the opportunity to hire armed private security in the U.S. This was driven by frequent online threats, concerns over home invasions, and worrying incidents, including a paparazzi chase in New York City in May 2023.
Joe Funk, senior vice president of Torchstone Global Security, which handles the couple’s private protection in the U.S., stated, “The U.K. government is aware of multiple threats against them, but we aren’t given specific details due to a lack of cooperation.”
Prince Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, is also concerned about public safety when he is out in public, as well as the safety of his staff.
“A former employee of their Archewell Foundation shared, ‘The staff is concerned when they travel with them.'”
According to a source familiar with the matter, Harry and Meghan’s decision to step away from royal duties shouldn’t impact the level of protection they receive: “‘Working royal or not, this is the King’s son.'”
Neil Basu, a former counterterrorism head for the Metropolitan Police, has previously discussed the serious threats Meghan faced in the U.K. He pointed out that both Harry and Meghan had some of the highest threat assessments within the royal family. Over the years, numerous individuals have been arrested and incarcerated for threatening the couple.
Basu told People, “Harry’s military service, his global recognition, and his marriage to a mixed-race woman all contribute to his high threat level.”
With both parties firmly holding their ground—and Prince William, 42, seemingly in alignment with his father—the possibility of reconciliation seems highly unlikely.
Some sources close to the palace believe that Harry’s memoir and his public interviews have eroded the family’s trust in him. On the other hand, those who support Harry argue that he wouldn’t have to resort to public statements to finance his security if he were properly protected. According to a friend, if the security issue is settled, “it’s ‘swords down.’”
The same friend adds that “nothing would bring [Harry] more joy than repairing his relationship with his father. In the end, blood ties can’t be undone. He’s not seeking a bigger house or better cars; his request comes from a genuine need—he’s in danger.”