King Charles, the UK’s monarch, addressed lawmakers in Washington DC this week, an impassioned speech during which he used the word word “reconciliation” repeatedly

King Charles

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King Charles made multiple speeches during the US visit(Image: AP)

Royal fans believe King Charles kept repeating one word in a snub to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The monarch, 77, used the word “reconciliation” several times during a speech to lawmakers in Washington DC amid his state visit this week. Charles has a strained relationship with his son and daughter-in-law and many royal observers thought his reference to “reconciliation” was a deliberate use of irony.

Although King Charles was in the US for four days, he did not meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This, coupled with the speech, left royal fans discussing the relationship on social media. One Reddit user posted: “Now they’re just trolling the Harkles. King Charles talks of reconciliation. Just not THAT one.”

Another person commented: “Yes, well, the US/UK relationship is actually valuable. So reconciliation is actually important. Can’t say the same of certain other potential reconciliations.” One more user entered the conversation, remarking: “This royal visit is almost certainly going to tank Harkle prospects even further and faster. It’s clear they have no real royal connection. Harry might as well not exist.”

King Charles and Donald Trump are pictured at the White House

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King Charles and Donald Trump are pictured at the White House(Image: Getty Images)

Charles, though, spent his time in the US attempting to mend the UK’s relationship with the US. The father of two referred to this during the address to lawmakers in Washington. One use of the word “reconciliation” came to describe the centuries-long rapport between the two nations. The monarch said: “The story of Britain and America is one of reconciliation.”

But royal observers stressed they felt the message had drifted beyond diplomacy after Charles used the word several more times. They mentioned the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have remained largely separate from official royal engagements since stepping back as senior working royals in 2020.

They’ve also settled in California since then but, recently, speculation had grown around a potential return to The Firm. However, Harry, 41, made no direct reference to this during his last media appearance; at the Kyiv Security Forum, where he spoke about the war in Ukraine and about Donald Trump.

This, though, led to criticism from Mr Trump. Speaking to reporters last week, the US President said: “I think I am speaking for the UK more than Prince Harry. But I appreciate his advice very much.” However, Mr Trump, 79, later praised King Charles during the monarch’s visit to the US.