Today is Monday, March 3, the 62nd day of 2025. There are still 303 days a 12 months.

Today in history:

On March 3, 1991, driver Rodney King was beaten strongly after a high -speed hunt by Los Angeles law enforcement officials. Amateur video, wherein the scene was broadcast in local news that evening and the general public outrage triggered.

Also on this date:

In 1849 the Congress founded the US interior ministry.

In 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a legislative template that made “the star banner” the national anthem of the United States.

In 1943, 173 people died in London's East End in a bodies on the Bethnal Green Tube Station, which was used as air strikes of the war.

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In 1969, Apollo 9 from Cape Kennedy picked up on a mission to check the moon module of NASA.

In 2022, the Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma achieved a nationwide settlement of his role within the opioid crisis, with the members of the sacker family who own the corporate increase their contribution to as much as 6 billion US dollars in a deal to forestall a flood from complaints.

Today's birthdays:

• The filmmaker George Miller is 80.
• Singer Jennifer Warnes is 78.
• The writer Ron Chernow is 76.
• Famer Randy Gradishar's football hall is 73.
• The musician Robyn Hitchcock is 72.
• Actor Miranda Richardson is 67.
• Radio personality Ira Glass is 66.
• Jackie Joyner-Kersee Jackie Joyner-Kersee of the Olympic athletics is 63.
• Rapper actor Tone Loc is 59.
• Hockey Hall of Famer Brian Leetch is 57.
• Actor Julie Bowen is 55.
• Actor David Faustino is 51.
• Actor Jessica Biel is 43.
• Singer Camila Cabello is 28.
• NBA striker Jayson Tatum is 27.

NEW YORK – In the Christmas battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures' “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” raced past the Walt Disney Co “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the highest spot on the box office ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters.

According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” opened in theaters over the weekend with ticket sales of $62 million. With strong reviews (86% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a high audience rating (an “A” on CinemaScore), “Sonic 3” is well-positioned to be the highest selection in theaters in the course of the busiest time of yr.

It's indicative of a bigger trend that “Sonic 3” – made for $122 million – trumped considered one of Disney's top movies. Video game adaptationsonce some of the derided film genres, has develop into some of the reliable box office hits lately. The previous two Sonic movies grossed greater than $700 million worldwide worldwide, and the third installment is anticipated to do higher than each. A fourth “Sonic” film is already in development.

However, “Mufasa” suffered humiliation in its opening weekend as domestic ticket sales of $35 million fell well wanting expectations. The photorealistic “Lion King” prequel opened even further than “Sonic 3,” opening in 4,100 theaters and gobbling up probably the most IMAX screens, in comparison with 3,761 locations for “Sonic 3.”

Although reviews for “Mufasa” were poor (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave the film an “A-” CinemaScore grade.

“Sonic 3” nearly doubled the earnings of “Mufasa,” which cost greater than $200 million to provide. To make up the difference, Disney could hope for international sales of $87.2 million. The third “Sonic” might be launched in most foreign markets in the approaching weeks.

In director Jeff Fowler's Sonic 3, Ben Schwartz returns because the voice of the hedgehog, alongside Tails the Fox (Colleen O'Shaughnessey), Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba) and Jim Carrey within the stunning dual roles as Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather.

“Moonlight” filmmaker Barry Jenkins is directing “Mufasa's.” Voice forged, including Aaron PierreKelvin Harrison Jr., Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Mads Mikkelsen and Blue Ivy Carter. It follows Jon Favreau's 2019 photorealistic remake of The Lion King, which grossed $1.66 billion worldwide despite mixed reviews. “Mufasa” didn’t come near matching the film’s huge opening weekend, which brought in $191 million.

“We felt strongly that the market could support both films and we are certainly holding up our end of the bargain,” said Paramount distribution chief Chris Aronson.

There's no big franchise movie coming this Christmas. The most anticipated release on December twenty fifth is perhaps “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan. This implies that “Sonic 3” may very well be at No. 1 for several weeks in a row.

“The family audience for 'Sonic 2' was 59%.” This time it's 46%. This 13% decline reflects the time of yr we’re coping with,” Aronson said. “I think once the market really gets going, 'Sonic' will be the dominant force.”

Many of Disney's live-action adaptations – including “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Jungle Book” – were huge successes. Others, like “Dumbo,” “Mulan” and “The Little Mermaid,” were less well received. More are on the best way, including a brand new “Snow White” in March, “Lilo & Stitch” in May, and plans for “Moana” and “Tangled” to get the identical live-action treatment.

Despite the muted opening of “Mufasa,” Disney remains to be having its strongest annual performance in years. The studio has generated greater than $5 billion in ticket sales worldwide, including the yr's two biggest hits: “Inside Out 2” And “Deadpool and Wolverine.” The animated one “Moana 2” could give Disney the three best movies of the yr. It grossed $790.2 million worldwide within the 4 weeks following its release, including $13.1 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend.

While Christmas often sees among the biggest releases of the yr, movies released around Thanksgiving have really boosted the box office this season. These include “Moana 2” and Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” which took third place in its fifth weekend.

“Evil,” the successful musical adaptation Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the film grossed $13.5 million in North American theaters, bringing its domestic total to $383.9 million.

These movies, amongst other things, have led to Hollywood's recovery in 2024. After a big deficit at first of the yr, total sales are approaching those of 2023. According to Comscore, the gap narrowed to 4.4% in comparison with last yr's results. While that's still significantly lower than within the years before the pandemic, it's enough to flip the script on what once gave the impression of a difficult yr for movies.

Family movies like “Inside Out 2”, “Moana 2” and “Sonic 3” played an enormous role. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, noted that animated movies accounted for 26.5% of box office revenue this yr.

“The cinema year was saved by attracting family audiences to the multiplex cinema,” said Dergarabedian.

“Homestead,” the newest release from Christian-based Angel Studios, the distributor of “Sound of Freedom”, opened with $6.1 million. It's a few group of doomsday planners who seek refuge in a self-sufficient area after a nuclear attack in California.

Brady Corbet's “The Brutalist” One of one of the best Oscar contenders of the yr, it premiered on 4 screens in New York and Los Angeles. The $66,698 per-screen average was considered one of the very best of 2024. The post-war epic runs three and a half hours and clearly presents a theatrical challenge. A24 is attempting to turn the film, starring Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, into an arthouse event. It was nominated for seven Golden Globes.

Final domestic box office figures might be released on Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, in keeping with Comscore:

1. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” $62 million.

2. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $35 million.

3. “Wicked,” $13.5 million.

4. “Moana 2,” $13.1 million.

5. “Homestead,” $6.1 million.

6. “Gladiator II,” $4.5 million.

7. “Kraven the Hunter,” $3.1 million.

8. “Red One,” $1.4 million.

9. “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” $1.3 million.

10. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” $825,000.

Originally published: December 22, 2024 at 11:05 am PST

The old saying “speed kills” also applies to the world's fastest roller coasters, whose closures have been worryingly quick – but luckily for thrill-seekers, a brand new roller coaster king will soon emerge in 2025.

Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey — the reigning champion for speed (128 miles per hour) and height (456 feet) — was the last of the world's fastest roller coasters to topple.

Six Flags will spend $1 billion on 11 roller coasters over the subsequent two years

Six Flags announced last week that Kingda Ka can be removed in 2026 and replaced with a brand new record-breaking launch coaster.

“Kingda Ka has provided more than 12 million rides since 2005,” Six Flags said in an announcement. “What was cutting-edge roller coaster technology 20 years ago has been surpassed by more modern advances.”

There are 4 more coasters The world's fastest list from the Roller Coaster Database are currently “standing but not operational”.

That works Red power (112 miles per hour) in Spain's Ferrari Land because the reigning fastest roller coaster on the planet.

The Fury 325 (95 mph) at Carowinds, North Carolina currently holds the title America's fastest roller coaster.

According to Magic Mountain officials, the “Superman: Escape from Krypton” roller coaster was closed in September for repairs. A reopening date has not yet been announced.

The record-breaking roller coaster opened at Magic Mountain in 1997 as Superman: The Escape, making it the fastest roller coaster on the planet.

The nearly equivalent Intamin Shuttle roller coasters shared the throne until the 112 mph Dodonpa roller coaster opened in Japan's Fuji-Q Highlands in 2001.

Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster took the title of fastest roller coaster on the planet in 2003 with a top speed of 120 miles per hour.

Kingda Ka became king of the world when the Intamin Accelerator cylinder coaster got here onto the market in 2005.

Formula Rossa took the world's fastest title in 2010, however the coaster has been closed since January to repair the launch system – a process that officials say could take a yr or longer Screamscape.

Ring Racer stays an expensive but worthless white elephant – it was only operational for a number of days when it opened in 2013, but to today it “stands but is not operational”.

Ferrari World's Formula Rossa, Cedar Point's Top Thrill 2 and Magic Mountain's Superman are all expected to reopen sooner or later.

Cedar Point closed Top Thrill Dragster for your complete 2022 and 2023 seasons after a bit of metal flew off the ride in August 2021, seriously injuring a lady waiting in line on the attraction.

The renamed Top Thrill 2 replaced Intamin's hydraulic launch system with a Zamperla electromagnetic launch system in May – however the ride only operated for about every week before the park closed the coaster again as a result of mechanical problems.

The list of the fastest roller coasters on the planet can be reshuffled again in 2025 Falcon flight debuts at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia.

Falcon's Flight becomes the fastest roller coaster on the planet at a blistering 155 miles per hour – 6 miles per hour faster than Formula Rossa's top speed of 149 miles per hour.

Originally published: November 22, 2024 at 6:28 am PST

Is blood thicker than water? Should family all the time come first?

There are many clichés concerning the importance of family, despite the notice that family relationships are sometimes difficult, if not dysfunctional.

But lately A discussion arose a couple of somewhat taboo move: the whole severance of relationships with members of the family, which is generally known as “poisonous.”

Referred to as “no contact.” this manner of alienation Usually this implies adult children cutting ties with their parents. This can occur after years of abuse or when a parent disapproves of a baby who got here out as LGBTQ+. Or it could possibly be driven by political or religious differences. Even Vice President Kamala Harris was there for many of it estranged from her father since her parents' divorce.

The “no contact” movement has its own Supporter and critics.

Proponents say people should walk away from unhealthy relationships without shame and that family must be held to the identical standards as friends and romantic partners.

Opponents say the bar for family trauma has been set too low and that some children who cut off all contact are selfish.

On Core of the controversy concerning the ethics of alienation is a cultural connection to the concept of ​​family. The field of family estrangement still exists in its early stagesbut discussions of the broken parent-child relationship—its causes, its ethics, its consequences—are present in the literature of history. As I actually have come across more articles, forums and social media posts on the subject of family estrangement, I can't help but find connections to Shakespeare's “King Lear” which I teach my students as a tragedy about dysfunctional families.

The tragedy concerns characters rejected by their families, and although the work is over 400 years old, it offers eerie insights into the logic of contemporary family alienation.

Early modern family

In Shakespeare's time – the English early modern period, which ran from the start of the sixteenth century to the start of the 18th century – Protestantism reinforced the concept that folks had special obligations towards their relatives.

As the English Puritan preacher John Foxe wrote: “The Book of Martyrs“Of all the affections of nature, there is none so deeply ingrained in the memory of a father as the love and tender affection for his children.”

In Foxe's teaching: Children were blessings from God who needed care, spiritual guidance and material support from their parents. Children, in turn, were obliged to honor and obey their parents who cared for them.

This may sound easy, however the early modern family was no less vulnerable to dysfunction than the fashionable family.

Just like today, parent-child relationships were dynamic and developed over the parents' entire lifespan. As historian Ilana Krausman Ben-Amos arguesfamily ties were maintained not by following God's commandments, but by asymmetrical giving and reciprocity.

Parents could invest lots of their children and get little or no in return, and vice versa. Due to shorter life expectancy, many parents didn’t live to see their children – and in the event that they did, their children – come of age rarely earned enough to repay her parents for the prices of her upbringing. Therefore, children may reciprocate in less material forms, equivalent to showing affection.

If a parent died, the youngsters may receive an inheritance, but this was largely determined by class status, gender, and birth order.

Shakespeare's characters are not any longer involved

“King Lear” offers two storylines. Each pertains to the disintegration of the family.

The first plot concerns Gloucester and his two sons Edgar and Edmund. Edmund is a bastard, meaning his legitimate brother Edgar will inherit every part when Gloucester dies. To get revenge, Edmund forges a letter by which Edgar reveals plans to murder Gloucester to hasten his inheritance. When Gloucester sees the letter, he writes Edgar off as a villain. Edgar feels betrayed, takes on a brand new identity as a beggar and forgoes contact together with his family.

In the second plot, King Lear attempts to divide his kingdom amongst his daughters. Since it’s not possible to divide cities and villages equally, he invents a contest: each daughter gives a speech expressing her love for her father. He will award one of the best parts of the dominion to the daughter who best strokes his ego.

Lear expects Cordelia, his favorite, to overshadow her sisters. But she refuses to play along and as a substitute reprimands him for his vanity. Lear feels disrespected and disinherits Cordelia. Since she has no money, she is forced to marry the primary man who will take her in and moves to France.

In these family dramas, the parents are unfair and even vengeful towards their children. But the conflict continues to be exciting and comprehensible for readers today, since so many families are characterised by inequality.

The favorite child, the popular parent And the inheritance dispute are as timeless for families as birthday parties and funerals.

Right and fallacious grow to be confused

Deception causes Gloucester to disown and disinherit Edgar. And yes, Edmund's plan to destroy Edgar and Gloucester's relationship is diabolical. But at the identical time, Gloucester's decision to desert his decades-long relationship together with his son over a letter – whether forged or not – seems premature.

Was Edgar right to run away from his father? Or could something have been done to avoid wasting the connection?

Cordelia is correct that Lear is vain because he expects his daughters to compete for his or her inheritance. At the identical time, complimenting her father looks like a small price to pay for a complete kingdom.

Is Cordelia acting like a spoiled brat by refusing to honor and obey her father? Or is she doing him a favor by exposing his improper behavior?

Shakespeare offers us no clear answers to those questions; He simply asks readers to navigate their complexities and experience the unique sadness that comes from witnessing a family crumble over something that perhaps might have been avoided.

No envy of the alienated

No one gets a blissful ending in “King Lear” – not the youngsters who reject their parents, and definitely not the parents who need their children to guard and take care of them as they get older.

Edmund's grief over his status as a bastard creates the grief he causes to Gloucester and Edgar. Because Gloucester has not realized the reality about Edgar's innocence, he’s physically blinded by one among Edmund's unwitting co-conspirators, a punishment he accepts. When Edgar meets Gloucester again, his eyes fill with tears as he witnesses his father's physical suffering. Before Gloucester dies, Edgar asks his father for a blessing.

Although Lear has broken off contact with Cordelia, she still returns to England when she learns that her sisters have thrown Lear onto the road with nothing but the garments on his back. The sisters appear to be villains, but one could also see it as karmic retribution for abandoning Lear. When Lear reunites with Cordelia, he asks her for forgiveness, indicating that he acknowledges his mistakes, and he or she asks for his forgiveness, acknowledging her continued love for him despite his mistakes.

Then as now, family estrangement often results in loneliness and social stigmatization.

Parents may be ashamed to say that their children now not speak to them. People who’re estranged from their parents speak about it Impulse to share milestones with family, but fear that the boundaries they’ve worked so hard to keep up could also be eroded.

Just like in “King Lear,” the absence of family also means being economically vulnerable: it stays difficult to get a loan or a rental agreement as a young adult with out a co-signer.

The advantages of belonging to a family are so obvious that the lack of that belonging, whether intentional or unintentional, is tragic. “King Lear” ends with almost the entire characters dying, but since it is a play – a fiction, a fantasy – they’ll ask for and receive forgiveness before the curtain closes.

Real life doesn't normally work that way, and also you shouldn't expect it to. If “King Lear” and Kamala Harris's estrangement from her father make one thing clear, it’s that no amount of cash, power, or the specter of bad publicity can completely protect a family from dysfunction and disintegration.

Today is Friday, September twentieth, the 264th day of the yr 2024. There are 102 days left within the yr.

Today in history:

On September 20, 1973, tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs within the so-called “Battle of the Sexes” on the Houston Astrodome in two sets, 6:4, 6:3 and 6:3.

Also on this date:

In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set out from Spain on five ships to search out a western passage to the Spice Islands. (Magellan died en route, but one in every of his ships accomplished the primary circumnavigation of the globe three years later.)

In 1962, black student James Meredith was denied enrollment on the University of Mississippi by Democratic Governor Ross R. Barnett.

In 1964, the Beatles ended their first real US tour with a profit concert on the Paramount Theater in New York.

In 1967, the Cunard ship Queen Elizabeth 2 was christened by the British Queen Elizabeth II in Clydebank, Scotland.

In 2011, the US military's 18-year-old “Don't ask, don't tell” compromise was repealed and got here into effect, allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve openly.

In 2017, Hurricane Maria, the strongest storm in over 80 years, hit the island of Puerto Rico, knocking out as much as 75 percent of power lines and causing a blackout across the whole island.

In 2019, Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, the positioning of the country's worst business nuclear accident in 1979, was shut down by its owner after producing electricity for 45 years.

Today's birthdays:

• Actress Sophia Loren is 90.
• The writer George RR Martin is 76.
• Actor Gary Cole is 68.
• Television news correspondent Deborah Roberts is 64.
• Actress Maggie Cheung is 60.
• Actress Kristen Johnston is 57.
• Rock singers Gunnar and Matthew Nelson are 57.
• Racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya is 49.
• Actor Jon Bernthal is 48.
• Actor Aldis Hodge is 38.
• Mixed martial arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov is 36.
• Singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips is 34.

Today is Wednesday, August 28, the 241st day of the 12 months 2024. There are 125 days left within the 12 months.

Today in history:

On August 28, 1963, through the March on Washington, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech to an estimated 250,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

Also on this date:

In 1845, the primary issue of the magazine “Scientific American” was published, which stays the oldest repeatedly published magazine within the USA.

In 1898, pharmacist Caleb Bradham of New Bern, North Carolina, modified the name of the carbonated beverage he had created five years earlier from “Brad's Drink” to “Pepsi-Cola.”

In 1955, Emmett Till, a black teenager from Chicago, was kidnapped by two white men from his uncle's home in Money, Mississippi, 4 days after allegedly whistling at a white woman; he was found brutally murdered three days later.

In 1957, U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond (DS.C.) began what stays the longest filibuster in Senate history (24 hours and 18 minutes) to delay passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

In 1968, clashes between police and anti-war protesters broke out within the streets of Chicago when the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey as its presidential candidate.

In 1988, 70 people were killed when three Italian Air Force aerobatic planes collided during an air show on the US Ramstein Air Base (RAHM'-shtyn) in West Germany.

In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a compulsory evacuation as Hurricane Katrina approached the town.

In 2013, a military court sentenced Major Nidal Hasan to death for the Fort Hood shooting in 2009, which left 13 people dead and 30 injured.

In 2016, six scientists accomplished a year-long Mars simulation on the Big Island of Hawaii, where they emerged after living in a dome in near-isolation on Mauna Loa.

Today's birthdays:

• Former Defense Secretary William S. Cohen is 84.
• Actor Ken Jenkins (TV: “Scrubs”) is 84.
• Former MLB manager and player Lou Piniella (pih-NEHL'-uh) is 81.
• Former MLB pitcher Ron Guidry (GIH'-dree) is 74.
• Former US poet laureate Rita Dove is 72.
• The artist Ai Weiwei is 67.
• Actor Daniel Stern is 67.
• Olympic figure skating champion Scott Hamilton is 66.
• Actress Jennifer Coolidge is 63.
• Film director David Fincher is 62.
• Country singer Shania (shah-NY'-uh) Twain is 59.
• “Pokemon” creator Satoshi Tajiri is 59.
• Actor Billy Boyd is 56.
• Actor Jack Black is 55.
• Pierre Turgeon, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, is 55.
• Actor Jason Priestley is 55.
• Technology manager Sheryl Sandberg is 55.
• Olympic gold medalist in swimming Janet Evans is 53.
• Actress Carly Pope is 43.
• Country singer Jake Owen is 43.
• Country singer LeAnn Rimes is 42.
• Rock singer Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) is 38.
• Actor Quvenzhane (kwuh-VEHN'-zhah-nay) Wallis is 21.

Although Prince Harry speaks of his love for his family and there are reports that he plans to spend a month within the UK this summer to reconnect along with his father, friends of King Charles III said the connection between the son and father has reached a low point.

In addition to the various arguments between the 2, Harry is alleged to have also resorted to “emotional blackmail.” He threatened the king that he would never see his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet again. the chums told the Daily Beast. The friends claim that the Duke of Sussex, who lives in California, is attempting to put pressure on Charles to make use of his influence to revive Harry's automatic police protection when he and his family visit Britain.

This privilege was withdrawn from Harry when he and his wife Meghan Markle retired from royal duties and moved to California in 2020. The decision to finish this protection for Harry got here not from his father, but from the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), a government agency that works with the Royal Family, the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office to coordinate the safety of members of the royal family.

Since then, Harry has tried to reinstate armed police protection within the UK in court, however the British government has resisted. He has said he’s paying for his family's security within the US and has offered to pay for police protection within the UK himself. However, his request was rejected on the grounds that armed British cops can’t be bought.

Despite reportedly spending greater than $1 million on lawyers, Harry has lost round after round in his legal battle over security, the Daily Beast reported. It's not immediately clear whether Charles has the authority to overturn a RAVEC decision or if he plans to make use of his position to intervene.

Last week, Harry reignited the safety row when he was interviewed for an ITV documentary about tabloid press abuses, the Daily Beast reported. During the interview, Harry claimed that his American wife Meghan Markle couldn’t safely travel to the UK and expressed his fears that she might be the victim of an acid or knife attack as a consequence of negative coverage of her within the tabloid press.

Harry did indirectly mention his children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, but he has made it clear previously that he sees them as targets, in keeping with the Daily Beast. Meghan and the kids have been documented as victims of racist abuse online. A source near Harry insisted to the Daily Beast that the vile threats against the Duke from “neo-Nazis and extremists” are very real, and dismissed the notion that he’s using his own children as leverage to “blackmail” the royal.

Even though Harry's status inside the royal family has modified, his profile as a member of the royal family – and the threat against him – has not, the source said. “The goal for Prince Harry was simple: to ensure the safety of himself and his family in the UK so that his children can experience his homeland.”

But such references to Archie and Lilibet coming from Harry's representatives prompted a longtime friend of the king and the royal family to specific his concern to the Daily Beast that Harry is definitely using his children as leverage to get what he wants.

“Harry lost his security case in court and is now trying to get what he wants through emotional blackmail instead, cynically using the threat that Archie and Lilibet will never see their grandfather again as a tactic to force the king to overthrow RAVEC,” the friend said.

“The idea that security forces would allow the Sussexes to be attacked on British soil by an acid-throwing or knife-wielding madman is absurd and Harry knows it,” continued the friend, who knows several generations of royals. “To use it as leverage, as a reason to keep his children away from their grandfather, is beyond contempt.”

“Charles is being treated for a very serious form of cancer, so even if he found the time, he can't just spontaneously fly to Los Angeles like Harry can – and actually did earlier this year – in the other direction,” the friend concluded.

The friend is referring to Harry flying from California to London in February to go to Charles after the royal publicly announced he had been diagnosed with cancer. Harry's representatives briefed the media on his trip, and the Duke himself told ABC News he got on a plane “as quickly as I could.”

“Look, I love my family,” Harry stressed. “The fact that I was able to get on a plane and visit him and spend time with him, I'm grateful for that.”

But because it seems, Harry stayed in London for lower than 24 hours and only had the prospect to see his father for 30 to 45 minutes. A palace official told the Daily Mail that the 75-year-old royal was “tired” from his cancer treatment. Another royal expert said Charles was probably still “very angry” with Harry.

When Harry travelled to London in May to attend the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Invictus Games, Charles made lower than quarter-hour to see him. While Harry's spokesperson issued a press release saying there have been scheduling conflicts between the 2 men, the statement also specifically referred to the royal's “other priorities” – suggesting his son is hurt. Royal observers felt Harry had been “snubbed” by his father, and journalist and writer Richard Kay said the connection between Harry and his father appeared “more strained than ever”.

Now it’s questionable whether Archie and Lilibet will ever meet their grandfather, which prompted the old family friend to say: “I wonder how these children will feel when they are older and are denied a meaningful relationship with the King of England.”

“To deny them this experience with all its significance and legacy seems very misguided,” the friend said. “Of course (Charles) wants to see it.”

The last time Charles saw Archie and Lilibet was during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. The royal has said he just isn’t content to only get to know his grandchildren, who live in California, via video calls. A source told British tabloid The Mirror: “The royal is absolutely determined to be present in the lives of all his grandchildren.”

Another royal family friend, a up to date of William and Harry, told the Daily Beast that Harry had previously threatened to disclaim his father access to his children after the king told him and Meghan they’d have to present up Frogmore Cottage, near Windsor Castle, because they now not lived in England and barely visited. “One of his statements was that Charles would never see the children again,” the friend said. “Now he's making that threat public.”

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