King Charles gives staff pay rise ahead of Prince Harry visit, William concerned at workload
Prince William is worried about King Charles’s return to public duties as Prince Harry prepares to arrive in London.
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King Charles III returned to public duties last week after asking aides to “supercharge his diary”.
But now it has been revealed Prince William is worried about his father doing too much too soon.
A source close to the Prince told The Times: “He wants to make sure his father is balancing his recovery. He knows his dad loves work, but he does worry about him.”
His Majesty chose to make his public comeback by visiting a cancer hospital last week where he was snapped tenderly embracing niece Zara Tindall.
It comes after the King spent close to three months out of the public eye as he began his cancer treatment.
A source told The Sun: “He’s a bloody caged lion, driving everyone round the twist if he’s stuck at home.
“He has been frustrated, because there is still so much he wants to achieve.
“He holds himself to very high standards of public service and genuinely feels he’s letting people and organisations down if he’s not out there doing all those public bits of his formal role.”
On Sunday, King Charles appeared in good spirits as he was spotted walking from a church service a day before his first coronation anniversary.
The monarch looked in high spirits as he chatted to a vicar following a Sunday service in Gloucestershire.
It comes as the Duke of Sussex, 39, is set to head to the UK this week for an Invictus Games event, with his wife Meghan Markle expected to stay in California.
Prince Harry will be at St Paul’s Cathedral for an Invictus Games ceremony and is understood to be “very keen” to see his dad.
They chatted for 30 minutes in February — days after the King’s cancer diagnosis.
The King is expected to attend the year’s first Buckingham Palace garden party from 4pm.
Both events will finish around 6pm, clearing the way for a first meeting since Prince Harry’s whistle-stop trip in early February.
A royal source told The Sun: “Harry is normally 5,000 miles away in California but by happy coincidence on Wednesday they will be just two miles apart.
“It’s clear he is keen to see his father as he continues his recovery and most people expect another reunion of some kind next week.”
The potential meeting is unlikely to include Prince William, who has been stung by his brother’s attacks and has not spoken to him since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
Prince William will be away from the capital on Thursday, and on Friday has engagements in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Meghan is not expected to join Harry at the cathedral.
King Charles is due to be at a garden party at Buckingham Palace and meet with British Prime Minster Rishi Sunak on the day of Prince Harry’s event, The Sun reports.
A source said the King “has a busy diary on Wednesday”.
They added: “There are no firm plans in place at the moment on a meeting between them.”
It comes as King Charles gave his loyal staff and aides a pay rise to mark the first anniversary of his coronation.
The cancer-stricken monarch, who celebrates the first year of his crowning on May 6, is offering the cash boost as a “thank you” to courtiers, The Sun reports.
Those earning less than £35,000 ($A66,000 a year) will get six per cent extra, while those who get more than that will receive a 5.5 per cent raise, according to the report.
An insider said: “It’s easy to forget how hard people work behind the scenes at the Palace but the King’s not done so.
“He and Camilla have had a lot to be worried about with his cancer diagnosis but clearly he’s thinking about others too.
“This is a real morale boost for staff.”
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Originally published as King Charles gives staff pay rise ahead of Prince Harry visit, William concerned at workload
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