To receive forgiveness from his father, let alone from the British right-wing and conservative press, Enrique would need a favorable referee, the intervention of the monarchy’s figurative VAR and a comeback like those of Real Madrid. But Windsor is not the Bernabéu, and those things don’t happen.
So the Duke of Sussex has come to London to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games (involving sick, injured or disabled soldiers from 23 countries) with a church service, and Charles III has not even deigned to to receive it. Not a kiss, not a hug, not a handshake. To the enemy (and his second son and his daughter-in-law Meghan have become the enemy, team Sussex against team Windsor), no water.
And they were less than five kilometers away, Enrique at St. Paul’s Cathedral, taking selfies with his fans (who he also has), and the king at a party with eight thousand guests in the gardens of Buckingham Palace ( his first public appearance in three months), wearing a top hat, looking good and answering questions about his health (“not so bad, thanks”, “very good, thanks”).
Guillermo, for his part, did not attend one event or the other, but not to appear neutral (which he is not, he is a key member of the Windsor team), but to be with Catalina. Enrique’s press service has felt obliged to explain why there has not been a meeting, as would be normal in any family if the prodigal son visits the parents’ city, and has attributed it to the monarch’s “full agenda.” . But the palace has not deigned to say a word. Absolute silence. Leave the forum.
Public accusations of racism in books and interviews have completely broken trust, and the parent-child relationship is reduced to a mere formality. The Duke of Sussex would like to redirect her, for her Californian exile to be accepted normally and the criticism of the family and the crown with sportsmanship and fair play, but Charles III and his court feel betrayed and with little or no desire to forgive.
The last time Enrique saw his father was a short half hour after his cancer diagnosis, and he was not even invited to spend a few days at Balmoral with his father and stepmother.
The first thing he did after the meeting was give an interview to an American television network, and he didn’t like it. The lines of communication are broken. At this moment, the prince of Montecito is for the Windsor team as PSG or Real Madrid are for the culés.
