NEW ROYAL REVELATIONS THE KING IS REVEALED AS A 'KINDLY SOUL' WHO'S OPEN TO A RECONCILIATION WITH HARRY

They may have had a strained relationship in recent years, but reconciliation could finally be on the cards for the King and his son the Duke of Sussex-once Prince Harry's legal challenges are over.

- EMILY NASH

"Things are going to get better, not worse. That's my gut feeling," royal author Robert Hardman tells HELLO!. "But now is not the time to be stressing out the King." In a fascinating update to his book Charles III: New King, New Court, the Inside Story, he writes: "Within the Palace, it is accepted that the King is more open to some sort of rapprochement with the Sussexes, not least because he's barely seen his US-based grandchildren and any sort of medical diagnosis tends to focus the mind on the passing of time."

TRICKY DECISIONS

The situation has been complicated by Prince Harry's decision to sue the Home Office for downgrading his security arrangements since he stepped back as a senior royal.

Sources close to the Duke have suggested that the King could intervene on his behalf - but those close to the monarch say that it would be "wholly inappropriate" for him to do so.

Meanwhile, Robert quotes a former member of His Majesty's staff as saying: "He's always had an iron discipline about not stirring things up with the Sussexes. It can take a huge effort to do nothing when you are being criticised." But the fractured relationship between the Duke and his brother the Prince of Wales is also a huge factor. "The King has got to be mindful of whatever decisions he reaches with Harry," Robert says.

"Otherwise, you risk driving a wedge between father and other son." Elsewhere, however, His Majesty is very much enjoying his role, despite the challenges of the past year. "It's the granular detail," Robert tells HELLO!. "I think he really likes it, so none of this stuff is a chore.