After Prince Harry and King Charles called a truce and met for the first time in almost two years, many are wondering if this almost hour-long meeting could mean a reconciliation within the Firm is closer than ever
Prince Harry gave a telling response when quizzed about the King – just minutes after father and son sat down for a 55-minute private tea.
The Duke of Sussex was snapped entering Clarence House in London at 5:20pm yesteryda, with Charles arriving more than an hour before. Harry entered the royal residence through the back entrance, before leaving after just under an hour to attend another engagement.
Just under an hour later, he arrived at an event for his Invictus event at the Gherkin in London and was asked by a reporter how his father was. An he responded: “Yes he’s great, thank you.”
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Harry appeared relaxed, smiling and upbeat as he mingled with corporate sponsors and Government ministers at the Invictus reception, signalling to many that the private meeting with his father was a success.
The duke, who entered on the top floor atrium to stunning views across London, had travelled directly to the event after seeing his father at Clarence House, but was delayed by around 40 minutes due to traffic. At the reception where he met sponsors and supporters, the duke gave a speech and began by joking about his long journey across the capital, with traffic impacted by the ongoing Tube strikes.
He made his guests laugh when he said: “I think this whole thing has been delayed slightly, so at this point you’re all hammered – which was part of the plan all along, stuck up here at the top of the Gherkin.”
The meeting between Charles and Harry lasted almost twice as long as their last meeting, which took place in February 2024, with many royal watchers hoping that their private engagement will continue to pave the way for a reconciliation between Prince Harry and the royal family. According to the Daily Mail, insiders hope it is the first step to full reconciliation.
While Harry met with his father in private, the Duke of Sussex has not met with his brother Prince William, or any other member of the royal family while on his rare trip to the UK.
The reunion between Prince Harry and King Charles comes after the pair have been at odds with each other for several years, with their relationship fracturing after Harry, alongside his wife Meghan Markle, quit their royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California.
Since then, Harry and Meghan have taken several public jabs at the royal family in their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, their documentary series on Netflix in 2022, and Prince Harry’s autobiography Spare in 2023.
Charles and Harry’s meeting had been reported exclusively by the Mirror, as a US source said in late August: “It’s clear there is now a determination on both sides to make this happen. Nobody is pretending the wider family issues have been resolved, but this is about beginning with Charles and Harry.
“For the first time in a long time, there’s a genuine sense that reconciliation is within reach. Prince Harry ’s team and the Palace have opened a line of communication, and there is every hope that father and son will see one another.”