Prince Harry has had a face-to-face meeting with his father, King Charles.
Prince Harry has had a face-to-face meeting with his father, King Charles, at Clarence House, marking their first in-person conversation since February 2024.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the King hosted tea for the Duke of Sussex, a private visit that lasted just under an hour. After the meeting, when reporters asked about the King’s wellbeing, Prince Harry simply replied, “yes, he’s great.”
The get-together is being viewed as a possible first step toward mending the strained bond between the two men and gradually rebuilding trust after what has appeared to be a longstanding family divide. The King arrived in London Wednesday afternoon, after travelling down from his residence in Scotland. Prince Harry is in the UK this week to carry out service for various charities.
The Duke had spoken candidly in a BBC interview last May about his desire to repair family ties, commenting, “I would love a reconciliation with my family.” The last time Harry and Charles had met was just after the King’s cancer diagnosis last year; the Prince had flown in for a short visit.
Harry has since returned to the UK several times—most notably for court hearings—yet that was the only occasion he has seen his father, suggesting that their connection has sometimes been strained.
After Prince Harry drove on to his next engagement, the Palace decided it would not say anything more about the private meeting.
The prince touched down in the UK on Monday and has since attended various charity events in London and Nottingham, all while speculation swirled about whether he would see his father. He is scheduled to fly back to the US on Thursday to be with Meghan and their children, who stayed home this time.
Harry has said in the past that he is frustrated over the lack of contact with his dad, especially with worries about the King’s health in the public eye. “There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious,” he told the BBC.
The talk of an encounter between the King and Harry follows reports that the family is looking to bridge the divide. Photographers caught aides from the prince and Buckingham Palace leaving a July meeting in London, fuelling headlines about a possible “peace summit.” So far, however, the two brothers have kept a distance this week; their schedules have not lined up and there have been no appearances together.
On Monday, Prince Harry visited the resting place of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to lay a wreath in her memory on the third anniversary of her passing.
Just under 10 miles away, Prince William and Catherine were at a Women’s Institute gathering, also celebrating the life and legacy of the late Queen.