King Charles was 'not talking' to Prince Harry when grandson Archie was born, says royal photographer - and he missed out on this first glimpse
Arthur Edwards was with the monarch when the first pictures of Archie were released and he showed them to Queen Camilla
King Charles was on an official visit to Germany when Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed their first child and he later said he "couldn't be more delighted". However, behind the scenes things were reportedly tense between him and his son and photographer Arthur Edwards, who was on the trip with the King, claims he was told not to show him the first pictures of Archie.
These snaps were taken at Windsor two days after the royal was born and in Cup of Tea, Arthur?, he recalls asking the picture desk to send them.
"When my phone pinged, I showed Camilla pictures of little Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in his parents' arms and got a photo of her looking at the latest royal grandchild on my screen," Arthur writes. "Camilla said, 'Can you show it to the prince?'"
According to the photographer, "Just then, Julian Payne, the prince's press secretary, said quietly, 'No, don't do that, Arthur.'"
When asked why, Payne supposedly replied, "He's not talking to his son", and Arthur states that this was "the first [he] knew that there was acrimony" between King Charles and Prince Harry. Archie was born eight months before his parents made the dramatic announcement that they were stepping back as working royals.
A few months earlier the Duke of Sussex had hinted at a strain between him and Prince William when he stated they were on "different paths at the moment". However, it was only around the time of the royal exit statement that rumours of a wider rift went into overdrive.
Arthur's remark suggests that things were simmering beneath the surface even longer than we thought and it's sad that His Majesty apparently missed out on seeing a photo of Archie right away because of the situation. The way Harry and Meghan chose to share the first pictures was also perhaps an indication that they wanted to tread a different path as royals.
They steered away from the tradition of posing for photos on the steps outside the hospital. The couple also announced Archie's birth eight hours later when they were already back home and the pictures were taken by a single press pool photographer.
Even though at the time King Charles and Harry allegedly weren't on speaking terms, Queen Camilla seemed more than happy to look at the baby snaps. Arthur's phrasing also sounds as if she was trying to encourage her husband to see them as well.
This is particularly interesting given how Harry has been very open about having "complex" feelings when she married his father in 2005. Her Majesty was also there at Highgrove House for the Sussexes' big reunion with King Charles in the summer and royal author Catherine Mayer has previously claimed to People that "there is no reconciliation with [the King] without her".
Now Prince Harry and Meghan are back living in the UK and it's understood that Charles welcomes the opportunity to see more of them, Archie and Lilibet. Queen Camilla could play a key role in bringing them closer after all these years of distance.
