Prince Harry is in the UK this week to attend a charity awards ceremony, but it’s widely believed a face-to-face meeting with his father, King Charles, could also be on the agenda
The TV moment with the most Ofcom complaints ever comes from Piers Morgan on GMB, after he said that he didn’t believe Meghan Markle’s claims about her mental health during her famous Oprah interview
Prince Harry’s trip to the UK this week could potentially alter the trajectory of his and wife Meghan’s family circumstances for generations ahead.
The Duke of Sussex, who celebrates his 41st birthday this week, is in London for the yearly WellChild Awards ceremony, though many believe a direct encounter with his distant father, King Charles, might also feature on his schedule.
Should this occur, it would mark the first occasion the King, 76, has shared space with his younger son in over 18 months. However, Royal biographer Tom Bower describes it as “a meeting full of peril”.
“Harry has a huge mountain to overcome,” Tom explains. “On a human basis, he used to get on very well with Charles, so particularly from Harry’s perspective, he needs reconciliation. But time is not on their side.
“There would be huge levels of emotion involved if they meet. Whatever Charles is facing, he would much prefer to have a good relationship with his son, so I’m sure he wants reconciliation.
“But he must bear in mind that he’s dealing with someone who could sabotage everything and embarrass him enormously.”
Meghan, in the meantime, remains in Montecito, California, and, as Tom suggests, feels secure knowing she and their children continue to be Harry’s “priority”, reports the Mirror.
Harry and Charles last met when the Duke of Sussex travelled to the UK for merely 24 hours after his father revealed he had cancer.
After touching down at Heathrow Airport on 6 February 2024, Prince Harry made a beeline for Clarence House where he had a private chat with his father, Charles, for about half an hour. He jetted back to the US the following morning.
Since then, chances for father and son to meet have been scarce, largely due to Harry’s frequent trips to the UK being primarily for appearances at London’s High Court in his fight over security issues.
In essence, he was pitted against his father’s government, striving to overturn the decision that he, Meghan and their children were not entitled to state-funded security whilst in the UK.
According to Tom, the perceived “risks” of Harry and Charles meeting face-to-face during this period were simply too high.
“The fear with the court case was that Harry could invent something the King said about the case – and it would cause a constitutional crisis,” Tom claims. “That fear has prevented any meeting until now, but even now the case is over, the fear still remains.”
Harry himself has been very clear that while his main focus is in California with his wife and children, he wishes to mend bridges with his family in the UK – especially his father.
In May, after his High Court loss, he spoke openly about the family rift, saying, “I would love a reconciliation with my family. I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff… but it would be nice to reconcile.”
Whilst Harry’s comments were undoubtedly sincere, numerous Royal observers believed that being so candid – especially regarding the King’s wellbeing – would have caused more damage than benefit.
It probably reinforced concerns that the duke cannot be relied upon to uphold the discretion that’s typically essential within “The Firm”, Tom suggests, and this continues to be Harry’s greatest obstacle.
Penning his autobiography Spare whilst his grandmother Elizabeth II was still alive – though it wasn’t published until following her passing – and incorporating what Tom describes as “deeply disloyal and possibly dishonest” stories is the primary reason he’s “no longer trusted” and “has only enemies in the palace”.
“The hurdle Harry is facing is huge, to somehow persuade his father that what he did is in the past,” Tom suggests. “I think he will be too stubborn to apologise, because that’s not what he believes, he thinks he has behaved correctly. He simply doesn’t realise the consequences of what he has done.
“The question Charles will be asking is, ‘Can I trust my son?’ and, from Harry’s side, he will be focused on persuading his father he can be trusted, because he has to find a way back into Britain.”
The TV moment with the most Ofcom complaints ever comes from Piers Morgan on GMB, after he said that he didn’t believe Meghan Markle’s claims about her mental health during her famous Oprah interview
The pair walked side by side on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022(Image: Getty Images)