King Charles’s old friend claims Prince Harry using his kids for “emotional blackmail” against the monarch.

Report reveals rift between Prince Harry-Meghan Markle and King Charles over security and funding(AP)

Friends of the King have accused Prince Harry of doing “emotional blackmail” by threatening that Charles may never see his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, unless his security demands are met.

“Harry has lost his security case in court, and is now trying the emotional blackmail route to get what he wants instead, cynically using the threat of Archie and Lilibet never meeting their grandfather again as a tactic to coerce the king into overruling RAVEC,” the monarch’s friend told the Daily Beast.

The Duke allegedly wants the King to use his influence to secure automatic police protection for his family while they are in the UK. 

A source close to Harry refuted these claims, emphasizing the genuine threats posed by “neo-Nazi and extremist” groups. The source explained that Harry’s primary concern is the safety of his children and his desire for them to “know his home country.”

Prince Harry’s fears for ‘a knife or acid’ attack on Meghan Markle

Despite offering to cover the cost of security himself, Harry’s request for police protection has been repeatedly denied by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), which ruled that British police are not for hire, even by a member of the royal family.

The issue resurfaced recently when Harry mentioned in a television interview that Meghan could not safely return to the UK due to fears of acid or knife attacks spurred by negative tabloid coverage. “It only takes one lone actor [who reads negative stories about Harry and Meghan in the press] with a knife or acid,” the duke said.

Although he did not mention his children explicitly, Prince Harry has previously expressed concerns for their safety as well, citing the persistent racist abuse they have faced.

“The idea that the security forces are going to allow the Sussexes to be attacked by an acid-throwing or knife-wielding maniac on British soil is absurd, and Harry knows it,” the friend said.

The last time King Charles saw Archie and Lilibet was during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. He has expressed his desire to be a part of his grandchildren’s lives beyond video calls. “The king is absolutely committed to being present in all of his grandchildren’s lives,” a source told the Mirror UK.