Something’s cooking on the English regal frontier as the men of the empire are set to meet soon, according to reports.
According to New York Post, Prince Harry will reportedly meet with his estranged father, King Charles III, for the first time in 20 months. The visit will reportedly take place across the pond. However, Prince William will not be joining them.
Additionally, the 40-year-old Duke of Sussex will be flying to London on September 8 for the annual WellChild Awards, as reported by Page Six. September 8 happens to be the death anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II. It’s during this time that Prince Harry will meet up with the monarch, 76.
According to the outlet, Prince Harry has not met King Charles since February 2024.
The Mirror reflects that the turf was first cut between the Duke of Sussex and the monarch during an informal peace summit with the Buckingham Palace officials. The forthcoming visit is expected to pave the way for reconciliation between the King and the Princes. However, as the NY Post reports, Prince William has rejected his brother’s invitation “out of hand.”
According to the outlet’s source, there is “determination on both sides to make this happen.” However, the insider had also previously mentioned that “the wider family issues” are still unresolved, “but this is about beginning with Charles and Harry.”
Not only that, but the source revealed that it’s for the “first time” that “there’s a genuine sense that reconciliation is within reach.” It indeed seems to pave the way for a more amiable relationship between the father and son, since they revealed that Harry’s team and the Palace “have opened a line of communication”, affirming the certainty of the forthcoming meeting of King Charles and Prince Harry.
The insider continues to share details about the reunion to the NY Post, mentioning that there is a general sense of “feeling the time is right” to reconcile, especially after Harry’s chief communication officer, Meredith Maines, and King’s press secretary Tobyn Andreae met for discussions at the Royal Overseas League in London last month in July.
According to Mirror, the discussions also explored the possibility of Prince Harry receiving direct updates on his father’s health to manage Sussex projects and royal engagements.
Regarding the upcoming visit between the father and son duo, not much is revealed. However, reports reveal the duo will have a “simple face-to-face conversation” over a “grand gesture or set-piece meeting.”
The source affirms that “privacy and dignity” are the priorities for this meeting, “but also ensuring the door stays open for further dialogue.”
The reports confirm that the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, will not be joining her husband for the meeting. She will reportedly remain in Montecito, Calif. The 44-year-old former actress is said to stay behind with her children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. As Mirror reports, King Charles has not met with his grandchildren since June 2022, when the couple made a trip to England for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The last time the Suits alum made a visit to England was during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022, which he claimed to be a “hard trip” on Season 2 of With Love, Meghan.
Ever since the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex shifted to the United States in 2020, they have shared fraught relationships with Harry’s family, sharing their grievances on docuseries and interviews. Additionally, Prince Harry had appealed for full police protection for his family whenever they join him in future trips to the UK, which he lost last year.
However, it was the Spare author who made the first move to break the ice with his father, mentioning that “there is no point in continuing to fight”, in an interview with BBC. The Duke mentioned that “there have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family”, for which he has “forgiven” them.
Reports still don’t reveal Prince William’s approach towards this subject. However, Mirror shares William has always felt that Harry has prioritized “public exposure over private resolution and that the Royal Family can’t keep being dragged into the headlines every time there’s a new contract to promote.”
The outlet continued to quote, “The issue with Harry, as well as Meghan, is one of trust. Ever since moving to North America, they have eroded all confidence in their ability to keep things or their criticisms private. For there to be any chance of moving forward, that trust has to be rebuilt, and Team Sussex knows the onus is on them.”