Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been living in Montecito, California ever since the two stepped back from their roles as senior members of the royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a whirlwind relationship, meeting in 2016 and getting married less than two years later.

Harry and Meghan certainly dealt with their struggles as royals, but there was reportedly a moment where then-Prince Charles was “crushed” at the way Harry and Meghan announced their relationship.

King Charles stands in front of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

King Charles was reportedly given no warning when Harry and Meghan went public

Harry and Meghan had kept their relationship under wraps for several months, but the rumor mill began churning, and the two wanted to beat it by announcing their relationship themselves.

As a result, there wasn’t much notice given to royals that Harry and Meghan were about to go public. And at the time, Charles’ team had reportedly spent months preparing for a royal tour that they were hoping would give him tons of good press. Instead, it was completely overshadowed by Harry and Meghan announcing their romance.

“It was a critical moment that had been in the works for months,” Omid Scobie wrote in his book, “Finding Freedom.” Scobie was referring to Kensington Palace’s preparation to announce Harry and Meghan as a couple. “A statement from Kensington Palace condemning the press and, in the same breath, confirming Harry’s new girlfriend would all but eliminate coverage of Prince Charles’s tour of the Gulf.”

Charles’ team had been working hard on his publicity, and Harry and Meghan overshadowed it in a heartbeat. “The team at Clarence House, which had spent months putting together Prince Charles’ tour in the hopes that it would be covered significantly, was crushed,” Scobie added.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer close with King Charles

It’s hard to say if that was the start of tension between Harry and his father. It seemingly was not, given that in 2016, Harry still appeared to be on good terms with Prince William and his dad. However, the event might have foreshadowed the way things between Harry, Meghan, and the royals would eventually end up.

Meghan reportedly doesn’t speak too much with anyone in the royal family, and although Harry did make his way to the United Kingdom earlier this year after Charles was diagnosed with cancer, the two reportedly are not close. Of course, there is still room for a reconciliation, but that can only come if the Sussexes and other royal family members want it.