FAITH IN THE FUTURE

King Charles Turns to God for Guidance on Healing Harry Rift

Plus, Prince Andrew’s new hobby revealed, Harry and Meghan Colombia backlash, Earl Spencer’s complex personal life, and Charles appoints first ever Master of the King’s Music.

So help me God

King Charles is reportedly turning to religion to help him get over his rift with Prince Harry.

A report in the Daily Mail, citing a “well-placed insider” said Charles had taken “spiritual nourishment” from meetings with faith leaders, and suggested he was ready to apply the tenets of those religions to his estrangement with Harry.

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“Faith has always been a part of Charles’s life and something he’s explored, but since becoming king it is playing a more central role,” a source said. “That reliance on faith and quiet contemplation has become a comfort and asset to him and helps him cope with the role as he adapts to being king.”

The source added, “Charles misses his son. He still loves Harry and wants him back for personal reasons, regardless that he and Meghan do not [want to] return to royal life. Harry will always be Charles’ much-loved son. He has faith that Harry could return. He misses the bond they once had, and the door will always remain open to him and his family. He does not want years of discord and disharmony clouding his reign.”

Lady of the manor

The complicated private life of Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother and the master of Althorp Estate where Princess Diana is buried, never ceases to generate headlines. The latest upset is that having announced he was splitting up with his third wife, Karen Gordon, 52, in June, she has now revealed that she has not, in fact, left Althorp.

Spencer said at the time of the separation it was in part due to the emotional toll of writing his memoir which detailed physical and sexual abuse inflicted on him at boarding school.

Karen wrote on Instagram last week that she is “currently still at Althorp.” She added: “I look forward to closing this chapter with you all and launching the next.”

A friend of the Earl was quoted by the Mail as saying, “Has she got no dignity?”

Spencer has a daughter, 12, with Karen; four children by his first wife, Victoria Lockwood, and two children by his second wife, Caroline Hutton.

Harry and Meghan’s Colombia backlash

Harry and Meghan’s tour of Colombia led to plenty of glossy photos, but the world still seems mildly confused as to what it was all about other than self-promotion, and the couple have been roundly criticized and mocked in some quarters for their attempts to control media coverage of the events they attended in the country.

Now, a source has apparently told OK! magazine: “They’ve been left embarrassed by this latest backlash, especially as they faced similar comments when they went to Nigeria. They want to help raise awareness to the issues some of these countries face and they know their profile can highlight that. They also know that these trips help elevate their status in Hollywood and in turn help their brand. They don’t want to stop doing them but are unsure of what to do next to win everyone over again.”

The country’s vice president Francia Márquez said she invited the couple to Colombia after seeing their Netflix show.

Harry’s team have made it clear to The Daily Beast in recent days that they consider the tour to have been a great success.

Andrew looks up

Prince Andrew has taken up plane spotting, the Mail reports. The disgraced royal is indulging his new hobby in Royal Lodge—the home he is determined to hold on to, and where brother King Charles is determined to evict him from.

Andrew reportedly spends hours on an app watching aircraft taking off and landing across the globe. He projects the flights from his computer on to a large screen so he can follow them in real time, a Royal Lodge visitor told the Mail.

A friend told the paper that Charles and Andrew recently spend time together at Balmoral, with the subject of Royal Lodge likely going undiscussed. “Charles does not like confrontation at the best of times and especially when he is on holiday,” the friend said. “This summer the king needs rest more than ever. The cancer treatment has been tiring and it makes him often fall asleep. I can’t think of anything guaranteed to make him go off the deep end than to have Royal Lodge brought up.”

Charles appoints first ever Master of the King’s Music

Errollyn Wallace, CBE, the lauded composer behind the 2012 Paralympics, has been appointed as his first Master of the King’s Music, succeeding Dame Judith Weir who had been appointed to the role in 2014 by the late Queen Elizabeth.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The appointment is conferred on a musician of distinction who has added to the musical life of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

“The office of Master of The King’s Music was created in the reign of King Charles I and the Master served as the head of the Sovereign’s band of musicians.”

In a statement, Wallen said: “I am thrilled to accept this royal appointment. It will be a privilege and a great honor to serve His Majesty The King, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. I look forward to championing music and music-making for all.”

This week in royal history

On August 28, 1996, Prince Charles and Princess Diana were officially divorced

Unanswered questions

Who will prevail between King Charles and Queen Camilla—he wanting to work as hard as he possibly can; or she, worried about his health, wanting him to do less, and focus on his cancer treatments and recovery?

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Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

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