Boris Johnson and the King, then the Prince of Wales, met in Kigali last year. Credit: ANDREW PARSONS
Former aide Boris Johnson said the former prime minister had «reconciled» with King Charles over the monarch's alleged criticism of the government's Rwandan deportation scheme.
It was reported last June that the then Prince of Wales privately described the Government's Asylum Plan as «appalling».
In a podcast, Guto Harry, former director of communications for No. 10, said that Johnson intervened «very hard» with the then Prince of Wales and warned him against meddling in politics.
The alleged clash at the Commonwealth summit in Rwanda in June followed allegations that Prince Charles had privately criticized a plan to deport migrants from the English Channel to Rwanda.
At the time, No. 10 denied there was an altercation, with Mr Johnson only saying that the two men had «good old-fashioned chatter.»
On Monday evening, sources close to Mr Johnson said: «This version is simply inaccurate and does not reflect the conversation that took place. Boris Johnson has nothing to do with this podcast, knows nothing about it and regrets any attempt to report such conversations publicly.
Mr Johnson's friends added that he strongly disapproved of the leak of conversations with the heir to the throne and will never do it.
The former prime minister attended the king's coronation on Saturday. Credit: GETTY IMAGES
In his Daily Mail op-ed, Mr Harry, a former BBC journalist, spoke of a meeting between the then prime minister and the future king last year. #39; The Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit was «less friendly» than portrayed at the time.
«Boris informed that the two had 'good old-fashioned chatter' and 'covered a lot of ground,'» he said. What actually happened was less amicable.
«I went pretty tough,» he told me at the time, essentially reconciling with the prince and confronting him about the fact that he— as an unelected member of the royal family, spoke of the actions of the democratically elected government.”
Mr Harry added: “Prince Charles has been arrested. He clearly voiced some criticism, and although he tried to downplay it, Boris pointed out the obvious, [saying], «If you didn't say it, we both know that your people might call the papers and kill this story.» The fact that they didn't speaks for itself.”
The former aide suggested the two men struggled to get along for years, and the Prince of Wales never forgave Mr Johnson for being late. to a meeting when he was mayor of London.
He said the row in Rwanda was the final straw, adding: «The relationship never fully recovered and Charles would be glad Boris had left No. 10 before how he ascended to the throne.”
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