Busy King Charles, snubbed Harry: No time to spare for a spare

Prince Harry flew 8800km to discover his family couldn’t find the time, or travel the final 5km, to catch up. Those who live overseas know this is pretty standard when you fly home for a holiday.

It was Home Alone Harry, this week, but unlike Kevin’s, the prince’s family was actually in the same city, they just couldn’t find the time to see him. Ouch.

Jetting into London from California for three days, The Duke of Sussex attended a special service for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games at St Paul’s Cathedral, on Wednesday. But despite his dad hosting a garden party at Buckingham Palace the same day, apparently the King’s schedule was so crammed, he just couldn’t squeeze his son in.

Bit mean … it’s five kilometres between the two landmarks – Harry could have done it in 25 minutes at a light jog and still been in time for a Pimm’s and a vol-au-vent.

King Charles, left, and Prince Harry. Pictures: Getty Images

But it was “computer says no” from Buckingham Palace, according to the Sussex team.

“In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it, unfortunately, will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program,” they said in a statement.

Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, central London, on May 8, 2024. Picture Jordan Pettitt/POOL/AFP

“The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”

Access to the monarch has always been difficult — when Charles was young he remarked he “virtually had to make an appointment” to see his mother, but I always wondered what stopped them catching up for a chat over cocoa, in their jim-jams, of an evening.

Why does it have to be so formal? I get that if your dad is the King, you can’t just pop for a pub lunch, but even a monarch must surely have five minutes to spare for his Spare, if he wants.

Maybe that’s the key, he doesn’t want, enough.

Prince Harry meets members of the public as he departs The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul's Cathedral – five kilometres from Buckingham Palace. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Invictus Games Foundation

Understandably, Charles is probably petrified Harry will be jotting down everything he says, in order to print it in Spare: The Sequel, or share it on Harry & Meghan Moan Some More on Netflix.

Or perhaps, more pertinently, Camilla finds it hard to be benevolent, after Harry assassinated his stepmother in his bestseller, calling her, “dangerous” and accusing her of “playing the long game” and leaking stories.

So, sadly, Harry found himself Home Alone, having flown 8800 kilometres to discover his family couldn’t be bothered to go from their couch to 5k, to say hello.

The only consolation is, royals aside, anyone who lives overseas knows this is actually standard behaviour, when you fly home for a holiday.

Despite spending thousands of dollars and sitting on a plane for a day to be reunited with family and friends who haven’t seen you for months/years, the minute you step back on home soil, their diaries self-combust and they become harder to pin down than a wisp of smoke.

Having spent years in Australia, regularly flying back to the UK, I soon understood I had to conduct a round-Britain tour of people’s sofas, if I wanted to see any of them.

The last time I asked someone to come to me, in London, they never spoke to me again.

They lived half an hour away.

It was especially hurtful, as I thought my parents liked me. (Joke, relax).

Originally published as Busy King Charles, snubbed Harry: No time to spare for a spare