We don’t often hear Prince Harry telling jokes about King Charles, especially in the years since father and son have become estranged.

But Harry let his guard down earlier this week and cracked a joke at the king’s expense during an appearance at the 21st annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards in Beverly Hills.

Harry was on hand to receive an award in honor of the work he performed during his time with the British army.

After being presented the award by fellow aviation enthusiast John Travolta, Harry shared a fond childhood memory involving his father.

“I think I was maybe 7 or 8 years old in a Wessex helicopter, and I jumped into it so excited. And then my father jumped in behind the controls, and I was terrified,” Harry quipped.

Obviously, no one was hurt that day, and Harry was just joking when he expressed his fear that his dad would crash the vessel.

The Duke of Sussex’s comments might seem fairly inconsequential, but they come at a watershed moment in his relationship with the king.

Prince Harry’s Joke About King Charles May Have Been a Peace Offering

In November, Charles and Kate Middleton were accused of making racist comments to Meghan Markle while she was pregnant with Prince Archie.

There was a time when it looked as though that revelation might be the final straw for the damaged relationship between father and son.

But earlier this week, an unexpected development led many to conclude that these two could be on the verge of burying the hatchet.

Prince Harry Reaches Out to Ailing King Charles

Following news that the king had been admitted to the hospital for a “corrective procedure” on an enlarged prostate, Harry reportedly reached out to Charles with a phone call.

It was a small step toward repairing the relationship, but insiders say it might have been an important one.

And by joking about a fond memory with his father, Harry could be signaling to the world that the feud between them is on the verge of being settled.

It’s a far cry from this time last year when Harry was promoting his new memoir and publicly claiming that his efforts to make peace with his family had been repeatedly rebuffed.

“And every single time I tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife,” Harry said in an interview with Anderson Cooper in January 2023.

“You know, the family motto is ‘Never complain, never explain.’ It’s just a motto.”

According to journalist Omid Scobie, Harry and Charles’ relationship was always closer than the one between Charles and Prince William, who tend to be more businesslike in their interactions.

“A striking difference between Charles and William when it comes to their relationships with Harry is there is still a warmth with Harry and Charles,” the author recently told People magazine.

“With Harry, there’s a reluctant acceptance that this is just who his father is.”

Well, that closeness might enable Harry and Charles to overcome the years of bad blood and rebuild their relationship.

Of course, father and son will have to overcome interference from the media and others who might prefer that they remain at odds.

Prince Harry Jokes About King Charles Amid Estrangement & Dad’s Health Concerns was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.