King Charles enjoys 'new serenity' in leadership

As King Charles celebrates his 76th birthday today, a strained bond with his California-based son, Prince Harry, lingers "always in the back" of his mind, according to royal biographer Robert Hardman. 

While the King has embraced a new sense of happiness since taking the throne, the tension with Harry remains, with the prince yet to share any public birthday wishes for his father.

In honor of the his milestone, a traditional gun salute is set to echo through London’s Green Park and the Tower of London. 

Hardman, speaking to GB News, shared that while Charles seems content in his royal role, the unresolved relationship with Harry is still a source of quiet concern for the monarch.

Royal biographer Robert Hardman has offered insight into the complex relationship between Charles and his youngest son, Prince Harry, as the monarch marks his 76th birthday. 

Reflecting on the distance between father and son, Hardman shared that while Charles would likely want to address any unresolved family matters at his age, his duties as King add a unique layer of responsibility and distraction. 

"Most people in their late 70s would be looking to tie up loose ends," Hardman explained, "but as a monarch, he has so much going on that it provides him with these necessary distractions."

He also noted that Charles’s distance from Harry is not due to a "great Arctic freeze" but rather a matter of "very sound reasons."

While Prince Harry resides thousands of miles away in California with grandchildren the King has rarely seen, he believes the King’s love for his son remains unchanged, though complicated by the realities of royal life and their differing paths.