During his first public address to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth as King Charles III, the newly crowned leader shared his support for son Prince Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan Markle after years of tension between the couple and The Crown.
During his speech to the British Commonwealth on Friday, Charles, 73, was sure to show his love for Harry and Meghan “as they continue to build their lives abroad” in the US.
The elongated olive branch comes a day after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who brought together important members of the royal family, including Charles, Harry, Prince William and new Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles.
In an August 2022 interview with New York magazine’s The Cut, Markle suggested that Harry and his father are almost estranged.
“Harry said to me, ‘I lost my father in this process,'” said Markle, referring to Megxit, the couple’s decision to move to the US and give up their royal titles.”
Indeed, during the couple’s March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry said that Charles “stopped taking” [his] calls” regarding talks about leaving his role as a working member of the Royal Family.
However, after the death of England’s longest-reigning monarch, the new king seems to have changed his mind.
“We owe her the most sincere debt a family could owe to their mother for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example,” Charles said of his late mother. “Queen Elizabeth’s life was a life well lived, a promise fate has kept and she is most mourned at her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to everyone today.”
He added, “Her devotion and dedication never wavered through times of change, through progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sorrow and loss.”