Prince Harry turns down King Charles’ latest olive branch invitation

Prince Harry has reportedly rejected an invitation to spend time with his estranged family at his father’s intimate 75th birthday party.

Prince Harry has reportedly “turned down” an offer to celebrate his father’s birthday next week with close family and friends following an increasingly turbulent period in their relationship.

According to TheSunday Times, the Duke of Sussex, 39, received an invitation to join in the low-key festivities at Clarence House for King Charles’ landmark 75th birthday but has no plans to attend.

The tension between father and son has been worsening since Harry quit royal duties in 2020 and went on to criticise his family – especially Charles – in an Oprah Winfrey interview, a Netflix docu-series and his tell-all memoir, Spare.

According to the Times, the King will celebrate his birthday on November 14 with a small gathering of family and close friends.

The pair previously had a much closer relationship. Picture: Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage)

But in recent years, they’ve reportedly barely been on speaking terms. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

It’s the second time Harry has allegedly snubbed an invitation from his father this year.

In September, reports surfaced that the King had extended a similar offer during his son’s fly-in, fly-out visit to the UK.

However, Harry – who was already in the UK for the annual WellChild Awards in London – turned him down, instead spending the September 8 anniversary of the late Queen’s death alone before heading to Germany for the Invictus Games.

It was also reported at the time that the rejected offer came after Harry put in a formal request to the King’s office for royal accommodation and security during his one-night stopover.

The entire family was together for Charles’ last landmark birthday – his 70th in 2018. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Clarence House

While Charles’ attempts to reconnect with his son have so far fallen flat, a friend told The Times that he won’t give up trying, despite feeling deeply hurt by his actions.

“When he gets to the end of another successful work day and thinks of his family, there will always be a twinge in his heart about a problem he hasn’t been able to solve yet,” the insider said.

“But he will be taking the long-term view. The current act is a challenging one. There are issues that aren’t resolved and there won’t be a rapprochement any time soon.

“There is the sense of a cooling-off period from the family that is under way after the aftershocks of the book and interviews. But that doesn’t change the King’s love for his son. He’ll never not invite his son to a family gathering, because that’s not who he is.”

The sad new update in the ongoing royal family feud comes after Harry was spotted looking subdued alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, at a Katy Perry concert over the weekend.

The Montecito-based couple reportedly travelled by private jet to Las Vegas for the show, which marked the end of Perry’s residency, and joined by other celebrities in the VIP section including the singer’s husband, Orlando Bloom, and Celine Dion.