Harry may not have known about his father’s condition

THE Duke of Sussex may not have found out about the King’s prostate diagnosis before the news was made public, The Telegraph understands.

Buckingham Palace did make efforts to inform all senior members of the Royal family and that included relaying a message to Prince Harry.

However, the public announcement was made at 3.25pm UK time, which is 7.25am in California, and it is thought the Duke may have seen the news alerts before any private message.

Both the palace and a spokesman for the Sussexes declined to comment.

Each side is keen not to stir up further tensions, aware that any kind of declaration could plunge relations to a new low. But the development was reminiscent of the breakdown in communications when Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022.

As first revealed by The Telegraph, the Duke found out via a news alert, as he was mid-air en route to Scotland when the announcement was made.

The King announced he needed treatment for an enlarged prostate on Wednesday, following a check-up earlier in the week.

The palace was forced to put out a public statement relatively quickly as he had to cancel public engagements scheduled for the coming days.

As the monarch prepares to undergo treatment in hospital next week and the Princess of Wales continues her recovery from abdominal surgery at the London Clinic, the Sussexes will continue with the day job much like other members of the Royal family.

On Friday night, both will attend the Living Legends of Aviation award ceremony in Beverly Hills, where the Duke will be honoured.

The relationship between the Duke and his father is barely thought to have improved. Simmering resentments were recently brought to the fore in two books, each containing revelations that did little to repair the cracks.

The first, published in November, revealed that both the King and the Princess of Wales had made comments about the colour of Prince Archie’s skin, information that threatened to severely dent the senior royals’ reputations.

Meanwhile, a second royal book published this week claimed that the Sussexes’ decision to call their daughter Lilibet had infuriated the late Queen.

King Charles III, by Robert Hardman, quoted a source as saying that the late Queen was “as angry as I’d ever seen her” after the couple said she had given them her blessing to use her childhood nickname.