King Charles praised the close bond between Prince William and Oman’s royal family as Prince Harry’s latest comments threatened to overshadow the Sultan of Oman’s state visit.
Speaking at a grand state banquet, the 77-year-old monarch expressed his pride in the friendship shared by William and the son of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said.
Among 160 guests served pot-roasted pheasant and baked Alaska, Charles described the relationship as a powerful example of royal ties being carried forward. He said there were “few happier symbols of success than a living relationship being passed from one generation to the next”.
The King’s remarks came just hours after his younger son, Prince Harry, said he hoped to repair relations with his family. Harry also rejected the suggestion that he had been criticising William when he said: “Some people don’t want it to work out.”
In a 42-minute interview with GQ, the Duke of Sussex acknowledged that he was mourning his “complicated relationships” with both King Charles and the Prince of Wales. Harry and William are understood not to have spoken for four years.
During the banquet, Charles also underlined the enduring friendship between Britain and Oman, speaking against the backdrop of what he called deeply painful conflict in the Middle East.
With renewed attention on the family tensions surrounding Harry, the King told the Sultan that he was particularly pleased that “our sons” — William and Oman’s Crown Prince — had served as joint patrons of the Jewel of Arabia expedition, a cultural and environmental journey through the region last year.
“Your Majesty, there can be few happier symbols of success than a living relationship being passed from one generation to the next,” he said.
King Charles addresses guests at a state banquet at Windsor Castle during the Sultan of Oman’s visit
Prince William meets Oman’s Crown Prince in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle during an exhibition of items from the Royal Collection connected to Oman
Prince Harry appears in a 42-minute GQ interview released on Tuesday
Charles delivered his speech at the close of a wet but successful first day of the Sultan’s three-day state visit, which began with his arrival at Windsor Castle.
Raising a toast to the visiting delegation, the King called the occasion a “treasured moment to receive dear and old friends”.
“Oman is one of Britain’s oldest allies and, after all these years, I pray, one of your closest friends,” he told the Sultan.
Charles reflected on the many visits that had allowed him to become familiar with Oman, saying he felt “immensely fortunate and blessed”. He also paid tribute to the late Sultan’s “inspired leadership” and praised the current ruler’s “energetic and far-sighted leadership”.
Turning to the crisis in the region, the King recognised Oman’s longstanding role as a trusted go-between. “I would especially like to recognise, at a time when conflict has returned so painfully to the region, Oman’s enduring commitment as a trusted interlocutor to all parties,” he said.
He also highlighted Oman’s efforts to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open, describing it as one of the world’s most vital shipping passages. “Oman’s noble efforts in trying to keep open one of the world’s most important shipping routes have been of great service to the whole international community, and particularly to the most vulnerable of those affected,” Charles said.
KEEP READING: Slain Philadelphia Officer Promoted at Funeral as U.S. Police Gather
Referring to Oman’s influence across the Gulf and its policy of “constructive neutrality”, he added that the country’s importance extended well beyond the Strait of Hormuz and deserved “our utmost respect”.
“The unique and special relationship we share helps to make the world and our peoples safe,” the King said.
Charles also drew attention to the environmental pressures facing Britain and Oman, as well as the opportunities and dangers presented by artificial intelligence.
He concluded: ‘Your Majesty, I hope this state visit shows the importance the United Kingdom attaches to Oman, its monarchy and institutions, and to our friendship with you personally.’
The state banquet came just hours after Harry’s 42-minute interview with GQ magazine threatened to overshadow the visit.
The Sultan and King Charles laugh at the banquet. Toasting his guests at the banquet, Charles said it was a ‘treasured moment to receive dear and old friends’
The Prince and Princess of Wales ahead of the state banquet for the Sultan of Oman
The Princess of Wales dazzles in a yellow gown for the special event on Tuesday night
He told the interviewer that ‘sibling disagreements’ and ‘broken relationships between kids and their parents’ was a ‘massively relatable’ topic that often came up when he spoke to people.
‘People look at us, and go “How are you going to work it out?”‘ he said, adding: ‘Some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out.’
Harry and William have not spoken in four years. After quitting as frontline royals in 2020, the Sussexes widened the gulf by accusing the Royal Family of racism in their devastating interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare, took relations to a new low, accusing his ‘archnemesis’ brother ‘Willy’ of throwing him to the floor in a row over Meghan being ‘difficult’.
Yesterday, Harry, 42, said ‘scars stick around for ever’ but urged ‘letting go of the past’, adding: ‘That’s something that I would encourage everybody to do. For me, there’s enough drama in the world and enough drama in people’s lives than to continue with issues with family.’
Hours after the interview was released, a Sussex spokesman insisted Harry had not been referring to William when he said that ‘some people’ don’t want to reconcile, as speculation mounted over who the apparent dig was aimed at.
The spokesman said: ‘It was absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family.
‘The comment was made in a general context and was not directed at his family in any way.’
