King Charles praises Prince William at lavish state banquet hours after Prince Harry calls for 'reconciliation' with his family in bombshell interview

King Charles heaped praise on Prince William last night amid Prince Harry threatening to cast a shadow over the Sultan of Oman's state visit. 

The 77-year-old monarch was full of pride at a lavish state banquet as he spoke of the friendship between his heir to the throne and Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said's son.

As one hundred and sixty guests dined on pot roasted pheasant and baked Alaskas, Charles said there can be 'few happier symbols of success than a living relationship being passed from one generation to the next'. 

It came hours after the King's youngest son Harry insisted he wanted to reconcile with his family, while denying he was taking a 'swipe' at his brother William when declaring: 'Some people don't want it to work out.'

The Duke of Sussex, who has not spoken to William for four years, admitted in an interview with GQ that he is grieving his 'complicated relationships' with the King and the Prince of Wales.

Last night, Charles spoke of the importance of the friendship between Britain and Oman at a time of 'painful' conflict in the Middle East.

And amid the continuing drama around Harry, he told the Sultan of Oman of his pride that both 'our sons' - William and the Crown Prince of Oman - had become joint patrons of the Jewel of Arabia expedition, a cultural and environmental trek through the region last year.

'Your Majesty, there can be few happier symbols of success than a living relationship being passed from one generation to the next,' he said.

His speech came at the end of a damp but successful day as the Sultan arrived at Windsor Castle at the start of a three-day State Visit.

Toasting his guests at the banquet, Charles said it was a 'treasured moment to receive dear and old friends'.

'Oman is one of Britain's oldest allies and, after all these years, I pray, one of your closest friends,' he said.

He said he had been 'immensely fortunate and blessed' to have come to know Oman well over many visits and praised both the late Sultan's 'inspired leadership' and the present leader's 'energetic and far-sighted leadership'.

Turning to the current conflict, he said: 'I would especially like to recognise, at a time when conflict has returned so painfully to the region, Oman's enduring commitment as a trusted interlocutor to all parties.'

And referring to the Strait of Hormuz he said: 'Oman's noble efforts in trying to keep open one of the world's most important shipping routes have been of great service to the whole international community, and particularly to the most vulnerable of those affected.

'Oman's role across the Gulf and her 'constructive neutrality', as you put it, matters far beyond Hormuz, and is worthy of our utmost respect.

'The unique and special relationship we share helps to make the world and our peoples safe.'

The King also highlighted the environmental challenges facing both countries and the 'promise and peril' of AI.

He concluded: 'Your Majesty, I hope this State Visit shows the importance the United Kingdom attaches to Oman, its monarchy and institutions, and to our friendship with you personally.'

The state banquet came just hours after Harry's 42-minute interview with GQ magazine threatened to overshadow the Sultan of Oman's state visit. 

He told his interviewer 'sibling disagreements' and 'broken relationships between kids and their parents' was a 'massively relatable' topic that often came up when he spoke to people.

'People look at us, and go "How are you going to work it out?"' he said, adding: 'Some people don't want it to work out. I want it to work out.'

Harry and William have not spoken in four years. After quitting as frontline royals in 2020, the Sussexes widened the gulf by accusing the Royal Family of racism in their devastating interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Harry's 2023 memoir, Spare, took relations to a new low, accusing his 'archnemesis' brother 'Willy' of throwing him to the floor in a row over Meghan being 'difficult'.

Yesterday, Harry, 42, said 'scars stick around for ever' but urged 'letting go of the past', adding: 'That's something that I would encourage everybody to do. For me, there's enough drama in the world and enough drama in people's lives than to continue with issues with family.'

The duke said he was grieving his 'complicated relationships' with the King and the Prince of Wales but wanted to reconcile.

Hours after the interview was released, a Sussex spokesman insisted Harry had not been referring to William when he said that 'some people' don't want to reconcile, as speculation mounted over who the apparent dig was aimed at.

The spokesman said: 'It was absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family.

'The comment was made in a general context and was not directed at his family in any way.'