He added: “That’s the Home Office, that’s the Met. I mean, he’s not going to get involved in that. He could contact them and say, ‘look, do you think you could’, but that’s not really what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s got to leave that to the powers that be to make those decisions, and he gets advised on it.”

Mr Harrold said it appears Prince Harry‘s security is decided on a case-by-case basis.

“The children apparently have very strong American accents. They don’t really know they’re British, frankly, and that’s that. She doesn’t want to come.”

He added: “But it’s sad because the King hasn’t seen these grandchildren in what, four years, so it’s unfair on him, because you know the children have done nothing wrong in this, and they should have the right to see their grandparents.”

‘Real Reason’ King Charles Won’t Help Prince Harry in Bitter Security Row Revealed as Royal Family Rift Deepens

The bitter dispute between King Charles and Prince Harry has taken another dramatic turn, with fresh revelations shedding light on why the monarch is reportedly refusing to intervene in his son’s ongoing security battle.

For years, the Duke of Sussex has argued that he and his family face serious security risks when travelling to Britain. Since stepping away from royal duties in 2020 and relocating to the United States, Harry has repeatedly challenged the decision to remove his automatic entitlement to publicly funded police protection.

The dispute has become one of the most painful issues dividing the Sussexes and the Royal Family.

But despite Harry’s repeated attempts to secure a change in arrangements, his father has not stepped in to resolve the situation.

Now, comments from a former royal butler have offered a possible explanation for the King’s position, suggesting that Charles has little direct control over the decisions surrounding his son’s security.

Grant Harrold, who previously worked for the Royal Household, explained that the monarch cannot simply order the authorities to provide Harry with the level of protection he wants.

Speaking about the situation, Harrold indicated that security decisions are not something the King personally controls.

His explanation challenges the suggestion that Charles could simply solve the dispute by making a private request or issuing an instruction.

For Harry, however, the distinction may offer little comfort.

The Duke has consistently maintained that his family’s safety should be treated as a priority, regardless of whether he continues to perform official royal duties.

And with the relationship between father and son already strained, the security dispute continues to represent a major obstacle to reconciliation.

Why King Charles has refused to intervene

The central explanation behind the King’s position concerns the constitutional and institutional boundaries surrounding royal security.

Security arrangements for members of the Royal Family and other prominent public figures are assessed through the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, commonly known as RAVEC.

The committee operates within a government-led security framework involving relevant police and security authorities.

Its decisions are based on assessments of potential threats, individual circumstances and the level of protection considered necessary.

This means the monarch does not have unrestricted authority to decide who receives publicly funded police protection.

A decision made purely because someone is a member of the King’s family could undermine the independence of the system.

Buckingham Palace has previously indicated that security matters are for the relevant authorities rather than the King personally.

The position is particularly sensitive because Harry’s legal challenge has already been considered by British courts.

For Charles, intervening could create the impression that the Royal Family is attempting to influence a process that is supposed to operate independently.

That may explain why the monarch has chosen to remain outside the dispute, even though the situation directly affects his youngest son and grandchildren.

According to reporting from July 2026, former royal butler Grant Harrold specifically argued that Charles had no control over the relevant security decisions.

Harry’s long-running battle for British security

The disagreement dates back to the beginning of 2020, when Harry and Meghan announced that they would step away from their positions as senior working royals.

Their decision marked a dramatic change in the structure of the Royal Family.

The couple subsequently moved to the United States, where they established a new life in California with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

However, leaving official royal duties also meant that their security arrangements would be reconsidered.

Harry argued that his family continued to face serious threats and that the protection available through private security companies was not equivalent to the arrangements provided by British authorities.

His main concern involved access to intelligence information and the ability of security personnel to respond effectively to potentially dangerous situations.

Private security teams operating in Britain cannot exercise the same powers as armed police officers.

They also do not automatically have access to sensitive intelligence information held by government agencies.

Harry believes this creates a significant disadvantage when his family visits the country.

The Duke has argued that he should receive an appropriate level of protection based on the threats facing him rather than simply his current position within the Royal Family.

A major legal defeat that changed everything

Harry’s attempts to restore his previous security arrangements resulted in a lengthy legal battle.

His challenge centred on the decision to change the protection arrangements following his departure from official royal duties.

The case went through the British courts, with the Duke arguing that the process used to determine his security arrangements had been unfair.

However, he suffered a major setback in February 2024 when the High Court rejected his challenge.

His appeal was subsequently dismissed by the Court of Appeal in May 2025.

Although the judges acknowledged that Harry’s concerns about personal safety were serious, they concluded that his arguments did not establish a legal basis for overturning the security decision.

The ruling was another devastating moment for the Duke.

In an emotional BBC interview following the decision, Harry said he wanted reconciliation with his family but claimed that his father would not speak to him because of the security dispute.

He also expressed concern that his children might never have the opportunity to develop a meaningful relationship with their grandfather.

Buckingham Palace responded by saying that the security issues had been examined repeatedly and carefully by the courts.

The King’s position creates an uncomfortable family dilemma

For Charles, the situation is particularly difficult.

He is not simply a monarch dealing with an administrative disagreement.

He is also a father whose relationship with his son has deteriorated over several years.

Harry has repeatedly spoken publicly about his frustrations with the Royal Family, including his experiences following his departure from Britain.

His interviews, television appearances and memoir have revealed deep disagreements involving his father, his brother Prince William and other senior members of the institution.

The security dispute has become one of the most visible remaining disagreements.

Harry believes the protection arrangements are inadequate.

The Palace maintains that the matter belongs to the appropriate authorities.

These two positions have created an impasse that is difficult to resolve.

Even if Charles personally wishes to improve his relationship with Harry, directly interfering in the security process could create additional complications.

The monarch must also consider his constitutional responsibilities and the need to avoid the appearance of preferential treatment.

This is where the difference between being a father and being King becomes particularly important.

New security concerns increase the pressure

The controversy became even more intense following reporting about security threats facing Harry in Britain.

In July 2026, ITV News reported details from a security assessment commissioned by Harry’s private protection company.

The report described several alleged threats and potential terrorist plots involving the Duke.

It also argued that the security risks facing him were higher in Britain than in the United States.

According to the report, the private security team had identified individuals displaying dangerous stalking behaviour and had documented previous incidents involving threats against the Sussex family.

The report was submitted to the relevant British security authorities as part of the continuing discussion about Harry’s protection.

However, the existence of serious concerns does not automatically determine the level of protection that public authorities must provide.

RAVEC must make its own assessment based on the available intelligence and established criteria.

This distinction has become central to the disagreement.

Harry believes the evidence demonstrates that his family requires stronger protection.

The authorities maintain that security arrangements must be determined through the appropriate assessment process.

Why Harry is reluctant to involve his father

Another important aspect of the dispute is Harry’s apparent desire to keep his father out of the formal security process.

Rather than asking Charles to personally order additional protection, reports have indicated that Harry has sought a fresh assessment through the government system.

His position is that the relevant experts should examine the evidence and make an independent decision.

This approach could also reduce the risk of the King becoming directly involved in another public disagreement.

Nevertheless, the situation remains emotionally complicated.

Harry has previously suggested that the security issue has prevented meaningful progress towards reconciliation.

He wants his wife and children to feel safe when visiting Britain.

He also wants his children to have a relationship with their British relatives.

For Charles, the possibility of remaining distant from Archie and Lilibet is another painful consequence of the wider family breakdown.

The Royal Family’s future remains uncertain

The security dispute is only one part of a much larger disagreement between the Sussexes and the Royal Family.

Harry and Meghan stepped away from their official responsibilities, established an independent life and pursued commercial and charitable projects outside the traditional royal structure.

The King has made clear that they remain non-working members of the Royal Family.

In September 2026, Buckingham Palace clarified their status to government and military officials, emphasising that their charitable activities are undertaken privately and that security decisions belong to the relevant authorities.

That clarification is significant because it reinforces the distinction between royal family membership and official royal duties.

Harry remains the King’s son.

But his position within the institution is no longer the same as it was before 2020.

This distinction is likely to remain central to future discussions about security, official responsibilities and the relationship between the Sussexes and the monarchy.

Could father and son finally reconcile?

Despite the continuing disagreements, there are reasons to believe that reconciliation remains possible.

Harry has publicly expressed his desire to rebuild relationships with his family.

He has also indicated that he does not want to spend the rest of his life fighting legal battles.

However, rebuilding trust will require more than emotional statements.

Both sides would need to find a way to communicate privately and establish clear boundaries around their disagreements.

The security issue will remain particularly sensitive because it involves questions of personal safety, government responsibility and public expenditure.

Charles may be unable to provide the solution Harry wants, even if he wishes to help his son.

And Harry may have to accept that the final decision rests with independent security authorities rather than the monarch.

For now, the bitter dispute continues to cast a shadow over one of Britain’s most closely watched family relationships.

The real reason behind Charles’s reluctance to intervene may be less about a lack of affection and more about the constitutional limits of his position.

But whether that explanation will satisfy Harry is another matter entirely.

Until the security disagreement is resolved, the prospect of a complete family reconciliation remains uncertain.

And for a King who reportedly wants to avoid further public conflict, the challenge of balancing his responsibilities as monarch with his feelings as a father may prove to be one of the most difficult personal issues of his reign.

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