King Charles Issues Ultimatum to Prince Harry Amid Rumors of Royal Comeback

It really caught a lot of people off guard when Prince Harry decided to step away from royal duties altogether. He’d only tied the knot with Meghan Markle a couple of years before that, and plenty of folks felt like he was basically abandoning his homeland by packing up and leaving.

Things only got more strained with the Royal Family—and a good chunk of the public too—after the pair sat down for that bombshell chat with Oprah Winfrey.

And let’s be honest, dropping his memoir Spare didn’t do much to smooth things over. That said, some people argue Harry was just looking out for himself, especially given all the turmoil his mom, Princess Diana, went through back in the day.

Since making the move to the US, his ties with his brother Prince William and his dad King Charles have been pretty icy, to say the least.

But then, out of the blue earlier this month, Harry headed back to the UK for the WellChild Awards, and it marked the first time the estranged prince and King Charles had gotten together in about 19 months.

King Charles hands Prince Harry ‘ultimatum’

So naturally, everyone’s been buzzing about a possible thaw in relations. But maybe pump the brakes on that excitement for now. Word from The Times is that Charles laid down a pretty straightforward message to his son—basically an ultimatum.

“The King has been absolutely clear in upholding his late mother’s decision that there can be no ‘half-in, half-out’ public role for members of the family,” a source spilled to the paper.

There’s been chatter that Harry could be eyeing a low-key comeback to royal life in some limited capacity. But the insider says Charles isn’t budging on giving him any kind of exception, sticking firm to Queen Elizabeth’s old guideline.

Per royal rules, family members aren’t supposed to pocket cash from gigs outside the monarchy’s orbit. That’d force Harry to ditch his deals with outfits like Netflix and Spotify, for starters.

Folks have guessed those contracts have raked in serious dough for Harry and Meghan— we’re talking millions. Still, a rep for Harry shot back to the press that he’s not pushing for any sweetheart arrangement.

“The duke has made it clear that the focus has to be on his dad,” the spokesperson noted. “Beyond that, and on any other issues as it relates to his family, we won’t be commenting.”