Prince Harry “loved being back in the UK” during his four-day visit to Britain, his spokesman revealed last night, as the duke prepared to return to California following an emotional reunion with King Charles after more than a year-and-a-half apart.
The estranged father and son met for “a private tea” at Clarence House on Wednesday, Buckingham Palace confirmed, marking their first face-to-face encounter in 19 months. The carefully orchestrated meeting lasted just under an hour and has been hailed as a crucial first step towards healing the deep rift that has divided the Royal Family since Harry and Meghan’s departure to America.
“He’s obviously loved being back in the UK,” a spokesman for Prince Harry told Hello! Magazine on Thursday evening. The representative said the visit had allowed the duke to spend time “catching up with old friends” and “colleagues” whilst supporting “the incredible work of the causes that mean so much to him.”
Behind Closed Doors at Clarence House
The historic meeting took place on Wednesday afternoon after King Charles flew from Aberdeen to London, bringing him within a short drive of his youngest son. The Royal Standard was raised at Buckingham Palace, officially confirming the monarch’s presence in the capital.
Harry was filmed being sped into Clarence House in the back of a black Range Rover at approximately 5:20pm. The meeting, described by palace sources as “a private tea,” concluded less than an hour later, with the duke departing for an Invictus Games engagement in central London.
What was discussed behind the closed doors remains strictly confidential. The Duke of Sussex has vowed to his father that he would keep their discussion private, according to royal insiders. “He has told his father he won’t be giving any interviews about it and his team have been instructed not to brief journalists about what was said,” a source close to the meeting revealed.
‘An Important First Step’
Despite the secrecy surrounding the specifics, palace insiders believe Wednesday’s audience represented a significant move towards reconciliation between father and son. “This is an important first step towards rebuilding their father-and-son relationship,” a royal source told the Daily Mail.
The insider added: “There’s a long way to go before Harry can earn his family’s trust but he’s given some assurances.”
King Charles and Prince Harry last met in February 2024, just days after Buckingham Palace announced that the 76-year-old monarch was undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer. That brief 30-minute encounter at Clarence House came after Harry made an emergency dash from California upon hearing of his father’s diagnosis.
Harry’s Reassuring Words
When questioned about the meeting at an Invictus Games event later on Wednesday evening, Prince Harry offered a brief but reassuring update on his father’s health. “Yes he’s great, thank you,” the Duke of Sussex responded when asked about King Charles’s condition.
The positive assessment comes as the King continues his cancer treatment programme, which requires regular visits to London from his Scottish residence at Balmoral. Sources suggest it may have been these medical appointments that created the opportunity for the long-awaited reunion.
A Packed Schedule of Charitable Work
Harry’s return to British soil began on Monday when he privately visited Queen Elizabeth II’s grave at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, laying flowers on the third anniversary of her death. The emotional tribute to his grandmother set the tone for what would become a significant week in the duke’s relationship with his homeland.
The prince’s schedule included the WellChild Awards on Monday evening, where he has served as patron for 17 years, supporting seriously ill children and their families. On Tuesday, he travelled to Nottingham to announce a £1.1 million personal donation to support young people affected by violence while visiting the Community Recording Studio.
Wednesday saw him visit the Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London, which he originally opened in 2013, before the pivotal meeting with his father. His final day included engagements with The Diana Award, continuing his mother’s legacy of supporting young people making positive change in their communities.
Security Concerns and Legal Battles
The reunion comes after a tumultuous period in which Harry publicly stated in May that Charles “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff,” referring to his three-year legal battle against the British government over the downgrading of his police protection.
Harry lost that court case in April, with judges ruling that the decision to remove his automatic police security after he stepped back from royal duties was lawful. The prince had argued that without proper security, it was unsafe to bring his wife Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet, to the UK.
I don’t know how long my father has—he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff,” Harry told the BBC in May, adding: “Life is precious… There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.”
Signs of a Thaw
The groundwork for Wednesday’s meeting appeared to have been laid in July when senior aides from both camps were photographed at a private members’ club in London. The image showed Tobyn Andreae, King Charles’s press secretary, meeting with Meredith Maines, Harry’s chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, who runs Harry and Meghan’s British public relations team.
The Mail on Sunday dubbed it “The secret Harry peace summit,” suggesting it was an initial step towards reopening communication channels between the two sides.
William Remains Distant
Notably absent from any reconciliation efforts is Prince William, Harry’s older brother and heir to the throne. The brothers have not spoken since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022, and sources suggest there is “no desire on either side” for a meeting.
“William and Harry haven’t seen each other in person since 2022, since the late queen’s funeral. And I believe they haven’t spoken personally for the same period,” royal editor Roya Nikkhah told CBS News earlier this week.
Despite both brothers carrying out charity engagements within 10 miles of each other on Monday—Harry at the WellChild Awards and William commemorating their grandmother in Sunningdale—they did not meet.
Looking to the Future
As Harry prepares to return to his Montecito home this evening, where Meghan and their two children await, the duke can reflect on what many observers see as a successful visit. Not only did he reconnect with causes close to his heart, but he also took a significant step towards mending his fractured relationship with his father.
Royal sources stress that while Wednesday’s tea represents progress, there remains “a long way to go” before trust is fully restored. The meeting’s timing, coming after Harry’s security lawsuit concluded and with the King continuing cancer treatment, suggests both men recognise that time for reconciliation may be limited.
“Life is precious,” Harry had said in May, expressing his desire for peace with his family. This week’s events suggest that sentiment is shared by his father, who made the effort to fly from Scotland specifically to meet his youngest son.
As one palace insider noted: “This meeting wouldn’t have happened if both sides hadn’t wanted it. That in itself is significant.”
The duke’s spokesman’s final words perhaps best capture the mood: Harry “greatly appreciated being able to support the incredible work of the causes that mean so much to him” during his time in Britain. Whether this marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Sussex-Windsor relationship remains to be seen, but for now, the simple act of a father and son sharing tea has offered a glimmer of hope for reconciliation.
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Image Credit:
Prince Harry at Fort York, Invictus Games 2017 — photo by Mykola Swarnyk, CC BY-SA 3.0
