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Prince Harry extended an olive branch to his estranged father, King Charles III, on Monday – as he paid a touching tribute to his late “grandmother”, Queen Elizabeth II.
The 37-year-old prince – who has blamed the new king for the “pain and suffering” that forced him to leave royal life – vowed to “honour” his father in his first statement about the Queen, three days after her death on Thursday . .
In a possible push for a new beginning, Harry maintained his statement surrounding the late Queen’s statement that “life is of course about last goodbyes as well as first meetings.”
“And when it comes to first meetings, we are now honoring my father in his new role as King Charles III,” Harry said.
The runaway royal’s pledge to honor the new king was startling given how bitterly he has attacked his father, blaming him for most of the woes that led him and his wife, Meghan Markle, to step down as senior royals and leave Britain.
During the couple’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry admitted there had been “a lot of hurt” between him and his father – confirming even then that Charles “stopped taking my calls.”
He later accused his father of handing down a “cycle” of “genetic pain and suffering”, saying it left him and his brother, the new heir apparent Prince William, “trapped”.
The alienation is believed to have continued until the Queen’s death on Thursday.
Harry – who had already been turned away during his rare visit to the UK – arrived hours after other senior royals, too late to see his grandmother for the last time.
Meanwhile, Markle reportedly stayed away entirely at the request of Charles.
The olive branch to his father came two days after William and his wife, Catherine, invited Harry and Meghan to join them in viewing tributes left at Windsor Castle despite their own bitter, ongoing feud.
In his tribute, Harry hailed the Queen as a “guiding compass”.
“Grandma, while this final farewell brings us great sadness, I am eternally grateful for all our first encounters – from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my beloved wife and hugged your beloved great grandchildren.
“I cherish these times I shared with you and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed not just by us but by the whole world,” he wrote.
“Thank you for your commitment to service. Thank you for your good advice. Thank you for your contagious smile.”
He ended by referring to the Queen’s late husband, Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99 and whose remains will be moved to be by her side.
“We smile, too, knowing that you and Grandpa are reunited now, and both together at peace.”
While it was Harry’s first statement, he and his wife had paid tribute to the late monarch on Thursday by turning their Archewell Foundation’s website into a single black page that read “In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 1926-2022.”
The rest of the site’s functionality was also disabled in a tribute to the Queen, who reigned for 70 years before her death aged 96.
Harry, 37, and Markle, 41, were at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor when they heard of Elizabeth’s deteriorating condition.
Harry rushed to Scotland to say his final goodbyes but arrived after his grandmother had passed away, The Post has learned.
Markle stayed behind while the couple’s children Archie and Lilibet, named after her great-grandmother, were at their home in California.
Tensions had been high between the Sussexes and Buckingham Palace since the royals were blindsided by their “Megxit” announcement – but insiders said there was nothing malicious about Markle’s decision not to travel with her husband.
Get the latest on Queen Elizabeth II’s passing with The Post’s live coverage
The couple’s young children would now be in line to become prince and princess, although Harry’s father, King Charles III, had reportedly told his son he would prevent Archie from inheriting the title in a bid to slim down the monarchy. Archie is sixth in line to the throne by birthright.
Harry’s older brother Prince William, who is now heir to the throne, was also spotted heading to Balmoral on Thursday with uncles Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
He decided back in June to move from London to the Berkshire town of Windsor to be closer to the Queen to help prepare for his role as the future King of England, sources said.
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