ROBERT JOBSON: It was a well-intentioned gesture. But I'm told Harry 'took it upon himself' to fly over… and Charles continued to kick his heels until he arrived.

It's easy to forget that the bond between King Charles and Harry, his 'sweet boy', was once a source of not only affection but joy; a relationship perhaps even warmer than that between Charles and William.

The distance between them has now become so great that their conversations, if there were any, have become mere echoes of the past.

We have seen this poignantly in recent days when Harry, upon hearing of his father's shock diagnosis, jumped on a plane and flew 5,000 miles to see him.

It was widely reported that Charles was 'touched' by the gesture. Maybe he was.

Yet I am told that the reality is both more complex and more disturbing – that Harry caused some unrest by 'taking it upon himself' to fly over uninvited and on such short notice.

To put it bluntly, the king was dissatisfied with what amounted to a fait accompli commanded by an emotional but well-meaning son.

Charles just needs some peace and quiet now and was planning to fly to the tranquility of Norfolk with his wife, the Queen, much earlier on Tuesday.

But thanks to Harry's intervention, Their Majesties remained behind at Clarence House, their main home in London, as they waited for the errant youngest son to appear.

Notably, Harry was not invited to stay at Clarence House, or any other royal residence for that matter. So it was decided at the last minute to fly, that he had to book a hotel room for the night.

And if the prince had expected to spend some quality time at Sandringham House, perhaps to talk about the good old days, or to rekindle the fatherly bond, he will have been disappointed.

What was actually said between them, only His Majesty, the Queen and the Duke of Sussex know, but half an hour (I was told it was a 30 minute meeting, not even 45) was hardly enough time to hear the many rebuild bridges. reduced to cinders.

Not after all that contempt for the royal family, all those misrepresentations pouring out of Montecito for a fistful of dollars.

After barely time for a greeting kiss and perhaps a hug, the King headed to Buckingham Palace with the Queen to board the monarch's Sikorsjy S-76C helicopter.

I can't blame Harry for flying over. Whatever soothing sounds may come from the Palace courtiers, his father's diagnosis is a serious matter.

However, the Prince should also spend some time reflecting on the stress he has caused the King, not least as he first had to deal with the loss of his own father, Prince Philip, and then, of course, of his late mother, the Queen.

Who could be surprised if Harry was welcomed with slightly less open arms?

This impromptu visit, while well-intentioned, has served as a sad reminder of the ongoing division within the family, a burden that Charles finds difficult to afford in his current condition when all his energies must be focused on the challenge of his health.

There is also a question of trust, or rather: the lack thereof.

The prince is in a position where even the royals closest to him will be wary. Unavoidable.

It's as if everything ever said between father and son, especially in the painful later years, has been revealed — first in Harry and Meghan's painfully watchable Netflix show, and then in his excruciating memoir, Spare.

As Prince Harry flies back to California today, the lavish celebrations of his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle seem a million miles away.

One of the most touching moments happened when Charles replaced Meghan's father Thomas, who was in hospital after a suspected heart attack.

Millions of viewers remember how Charles – immaculate in a gray Anderson & Sheppard morning suit decorated with buttonholes from the garden of his Highgrove estate – smiled at Meghan and gently placed her arm under his as she approached the section in St George's Chapel.

Charles was delighted to welcome Meghan to his family. A moment that could have been awkward was enchanting. Almost trembling with tension, Harry had turned to his father and whispered, 'Thanks, Dad' – a sign of the undiminished love between the two.

That evening, guests went outside to watch a spectacular fireworks display that lit up the darkness over Windsor Castle.

'Who pays for that?' Charles half-jokingly asked one of the Royal House guests, who replied, “I believe so, sir.”

He just laughed.

Four days later we saw the warmth between father and son play out again – in even warmer terms.

This was on the occasion of 'The Prince of Wales's 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration' at Buckingham Palace, with some 6,000 guests drawn from Charles' approximately 400 patronages and military associations.

Inevitably, the photographers focused on the new Duchess of Sussex, immaculate in a silk crepe sheath dress and a Philip Treacy dome hat. This was her first official engagement since her marriage.

However, Harry also played his part and gave a speech full of rare self-mockery and genuine warmth towards his father.

“Dad,” he said, “although I know you asked that today not be about you, you have to forgive me if I don't listen to you. Just like when I was younger.

Instead, I ask everyone here to give you a huge thank you for your incredible work over almost 50 years.”

He continued: 'It is your selfless drive to bring about change, whether that is to improve the lives of those on the wrong path… or to protect a certain endangered species, which William and I draw inspiration from it every day.'

This seems to have been the height of affection between Charles and Harry.

Then came the tirades against the royal family, which took their toll on both Charles and the late queen, who found the experience exhausting.

Yet, amid the chaos, some glimmers of hope remain. For example, I am sure that the king still has a soft spot for his youngest son, with whom he once spoke for hours about the environment and sustainability, among other things.

Despite his own trials, and perhaps against his better judgement, Charles has extended olive branches in abundance and will continue to do so.

His generosity knows no bounds, even though his efforts seemed to fall on deaf ears. Until now.

Maybe Harry is starting to see it more clearly: his father is only human after all, a man who has always been there for his son and who won't be there forever.

And Willem? The fact that his brother accused him of bullying is bad enough, but I know he sees the attacks on his wife by both Meghan and Harry as inexcusable.

Real, raw emotions have fanned the flames of discord on both sides, while the recent health problems of Catherine, Princess of Wales, have only further complicated matters.

But with their father undergoing cancer treatment, the onus now certainly falls on the brothers to make things right – and perhaps on one brother in particular. Because I believe it is William who may hold the key to a solution.

While it is not easy to swallow your pride – and I accept that the Prince of Wales may find it harder than most – some generosity on the part of the older brother may well be the only way forward, in the importance of both his family and the family. nation.

Perhaps, with hope and perseverance, the broken bonds can yet be mended and harmony restored.

In his ghost-written memoir, Spare, Harry recalls a moment after Prince Philip's funeral at Windsor Castle in March 2021.

At that moment, Charles had stood between his blushing sons and said, “Here you go, boys.” Don't make my last years a misery.'

It is surely time for the princes to heed these words.

After all King Charles has done for them both, you might think this is the least they could do for their father – in this time of need.

Robert Jobson is the author of the bestseller 'Our King: Charles III – The Man and the Monarch Revealed'.