Prince Harry and his father, King Charles, were reunited for a brief meeting last night after months of speculation about the status of their relationship. The father and son haven't been in one another’s company since King Charles' coronation in May last year. Harry has seemingly set the family feud aside following his father's cancer diagnosis. However, The Mirror reported that Prince William has 'no plans' to see his brother while he is in town.
Earlier this week, the world was shocked to learn the news that Charles, 75, has begun medical treatment after being diagnosed with cancer. The cancer was discovered during the monarch’s recent treatment for an enlarged prostate, and while Buckingham Palace did not comment on what type of cancer he had (other than to say it was not prostate cancer), it shared that he would be postponing public-facing duties on doctor’s advice. Despite the shocking news, Buckingham Palace said that Charles ‘remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible’.
Then yesterday, Prince Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, touched down at Heathrow Airport after an 11-hour flight from LA, and was driven to the King and Queen Camilla’s London residence, Clarence House, for what was reportedly a 45 minute meeting. Meghan Markle stayed at home in California with the couple’s two children: Archie, four, and Lilibet, two.
Sources close to Harry have suggested he would have welcomed an opportunity to meet with William 'if the opportunity were to arise'. The Mirror reports that a source said: 'The Duke's primary reason to travel to the UK is to visit his father. If the opportunity were to arise to see the Prince of Wales then the Duke would have gladly accepted it.'
But sources close to William have said The Prince of Wales is focusing on looking after his wife, the Princess of Wales, who is still recovering from abdominal surgery and won't be partaking in public engagements until at least Easter. After clearing his diary to support Kate, William returned to public work again today with an investiture at Windsor Castle this morning and a gala for the London Air Ambulance planned for this evening, where it is thought he will speak about Charles' diagnosis for the first time.
Following the brief family reunion the King and Queen returned to Buckingham Palace and were pictured waving to well wishers en route before reportedly returning to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk by helicopter.
The brief reunion between father and son has reignited hope of potential reconciliation between the pair after years of animosity. The relationship has been under strain ever since Harry made the decision to step down as a working royal in 2020 and publicly air his grievances against the royal family.
In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry claimed that his father and brother, Prince William, were ‘trapped’, saying: ‘They don't get to leave. And I have huge compassion for that.’ During the same interview, Harry alleged that a senior member of the royal family had raised ‘concerns’ about the colour of his son Archie’s skin before he was born.
More prominent allegations were made in his 2023 memoir Spare, with Harry claiming in interviews around the book’s release that he had not spoken to his father in 'quite a while' and was not currently texting his brother.
While Harry attended Charles’s coronation in May2023, he played a minimal role and swiftly returned to the US. He is said to have phoned his father on his 75th birthday in November, however, suggesting there is hope of reconciliation between the pair. In Spare, Harry describes seeing Charles at Prince Philip’s funeral. There, Charles allegedly told both his sons: ‘Please, boys – don't make my final years a misery.’
Will their father's ill health help William and Harry reconcile? Will Harry start visiting his father more frequently from now on? Only time will tell what comes next for the family's strained relationships.