King Charles III’s estranged son, Prince Harry of California, met his father this week for the first time in nearly two years.

Harry, who famously used the means of an Oprah interview and a bestselling memoir to blow up his closest relationships/get his family’s attention, arrived by car at Clarence House, the King’s London residence, at 5.20pm on Wednesday. King Charles III arrived about an hour later – he flew in from Balmoral Castle in Scotland. But he had other business in London anyway; he didn’t just come to see the son whose pain and petulance has made global news for years.

King Charles and his son Harry met for the first time in almost two years this week.Credit: Getty Images

Charles had a busy schedule – he also presided over an investiture ceremony, he met his Privy Council, and he granted a private audience to South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskus (who was in the UK to sign an AUKUS-related deal with nuclear reactor manufacturer Rolls-Royce).

As The New York Times reported, “the king’s busy schedule appeared calculated to show that he had not made the trip from Scotland solely to see Harry”. This extraordinary statement, if true, tells you everything you need to know about the emotional stuntedness that seems to be a feature of Windsor family life. It also reveals, perhaps, a fair bit about the king’s ego.

King Charles, his kingdom’s patriarch, seems to feel it necessary to put personal pride before any display of emotional attachment to his flesh and blood. He must assert control over any reconciliation – the son comes to him, and the son is made aware that he occupies only one slot in the father’s busy schedule. If it was King Lear-esque, then it was only........

© The Sydney Morning Herald