King Charles picture sends Prince Harry crushing message

King Charles’ controversial latest move has sent Prince Harry a brutal message that he simply cannot ignore.

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There can be few places on Earth that more perfectly embody ‘genteel’ than the Chelsea Flower Show, where a trellis can make headlines and an inventive way with a few gladioli can inspire gasps. It is the last redoubt of the cucumber sandwich brigade yet it too has now succumbed, the latest muddy metaphorical battlefield for a skirmish between King Charles and Prince Harry.

On Monday the King, Queen Camilla and all the crusty retainers they could fit in the State Bentley motored to the annual green-thumbed event where His Majesty got about the place looking happier than a man who’s Powerball has just come in. On the agenda for Charles, a tete-a-tete with his most unlikely of chums, David Beckham where he, gasp, actually physically clasped the former footballing great. Mon dieu! (The late Queen never even once casually patted a Dame Judy or Helen.)

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The two men doing their unlikely bromance act for the cameras is more loaded than an overstacked semi-trailer.

Here was Charles yukking it up with someone who has long since fallen out with Harry and his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, and who also happens to be an ambassador for The King’s Trust.

Somehow the King could find the time to be seen by the press warmly and merrily embracing Golden Balls himself yet has reportedly been too busy on at least three of the last occasions Harry has been in London to even choke down a rushed cup of Bovril with him.

David Beckham speaks with King Charles III during a visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Picture: Paul Grover – WPA Pool/Getty Images

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For the outing, Beckham, who is backing a King’s Trust push to encourage youth horticultural careers, wore a new hot pink rose named in honour of Charles in his lapel.

It gets worse. Both Harry and David have had milestone birthdays – the duke turned 40-years-old last September, the former sportsman passed 50 last month. Charles, either on purpose or not, let the press know he had sent the latter some sort of charming gift to mark the occasion.

“You got it, didn’t you?” Charles reportedly asked. “It was incredible, thank you,” Beckham replied. “It was very kind.”

The conversation seemed to go smoothly. Picture: Toby Melville/POOL/AFP

Given Harry seems to have somehow run out of paying jobs, he should have plenty of time on his hands to appropriately stew about this scene should he choose.

In a plot twist that no one saw coming, not even the Queen’s old mucker who has a way with tarot cards, the royal family has somehow wedged themselves in the middle of the world’s other great family feud, the strife bifurcating les Beckhams.

The similarities between the two situations hardly need spelling out: Disillusioned, aggrieved sons, American wives, and British clans whose entire brand and image are founded on selling them as a family unit.

However now, thanks to events involving not only the King but also Kate, The Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the whole situation has become about as convoluted as the War of the Roses, only there is no chance of anyone ending in a Bosworth field.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pictured at Beyoncé’s LA concert. Picture: Instagram

Let us review.

In late April the glaring absence of Brooklyn Beckham Peltz and his wife Nicola Peltz from the 50th birthday celebrations for David meant that the world twigged that things were not exactly happy families. Duelling anonymous sources soon cropped up in US tabloid stories to lay the blame on the other side for the falling out.

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Balmain

Then came the royal plot twist.

There was a time in the dim, dark distant (well, 2018) when the Beckhams and the Sussexes were all matey with Harry and Meghan until things soured, reportedly over whether any loose lips in the Beckham camp had been whispering in the direction of the papers.

Since then David and Victoria have become increasingly pally with Their Majesties. Last year he was made an ambassador for The King’s Trust, even sharing beekeeping titbits with His Majesty, before the couple was invited to the Qatari state dinner at Buckingham Palace in December.

Victoria and David Beckham at the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace during day one of The Amir of the State of Qatar's visit to the UK. Picture: WPA Pool/Getty Images

In February, the Beckhams were on the guest list for an exclusive dinner at the King’s private estate, Highgrove House, and in March Victoria was part of a Women of the World event hosted by Camilla at the Palace. David previously supported William’s 2024 fundraising drive for the London Air Ambulance.

The duo at Highgrove House on February 07, 2025 with King Charles. Picture: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

Which brings us up to this month when things started to get increasingly messy.

Last week Kate appeared to weigh into the Beckham family drama, wearing a suit from Victoria’s eponymous brand suit to present a British fashion award. Asked about the conspicuous choice “an in-the-know mole’ confirmed to The Times, “Oh, it’s totally deliberate. She knows what she wears gets major pick-up.”

Princess Catherine wore a Beckham suit. Picture: Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Then, a few days later, it was revealed that things had been afoot in California where both families’ renegade sons and their wives had dined together. People reported that the Beckham-Peltzs and the Sussexes were both guests of Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins and his wife, Tracy Robbins at a California soiree.

While the timing of the meeting of the Sons was a “pure coincidence,” a source told People, “Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous.” My, whatever do you think they talked about.

Which brings us up to Monday and suddenly we see Charles and David yukking it up amidst thorny rose bushes and a nice bit of topiary, a tableau that positively screeches volumes.

Remember, the King and the ex-footballer have a combined 100 years plus of intimately understanding how the publicity and media machine works. They are not newbies at this.

Then again, nor are the Sussexes.

Who is winning? Who is losing? Who is up, who is down? I have no idea but given past form, on all sides and involving both families, we are a long way off any sort of last word.

Daniela Elser is a writer, editor and commentator with more than 15 years’ experience

working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.

Originally published as King Charles picture sends Prince Harry crushing message