Prince Harry has made what insiders describe as his strongest effort yet to mend fences with the royal family, after a rare private audience with King Charles during his short trip to Britain this week.
The Duke of Sussex, who flew in for four days of charity events including the WellChild Awards, carved out time on Wednesday to see his father at Clarence House.
The pair spent 55 minutes together, their first face-to-face meeting in 19 months.
Those close to the situation claim Harry arrived with photographs and videos of his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, as part of a bid to restore family ties.
King Charles has only met Archie a handful of times, while his youngest granddaughter has been seen just once, during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
“It’s become clear that Harry now regrets some of his actions. He wants to reset his relationship with his family and with the people of the UK,” one insider told the Mirror.
Sources suggested that Harry’s overtures are as much about reconnecting his father with the grandchildren he rarely sees as they are about resolving personal tensions.
“It’s hard to see (Harry) ever coming back to live in Britain but this may be the start of something that at least allows them to be a functioning wider family again,” the insider added.
The visit came at a sensitive time for the monarch, who continues treatment following a cancer diagnosis.
For Harry, the chance to repair what he once admitted was a fractured bond with his father may also reflect his own shift in perspective.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex later struck an upbeat tone, saying: “He’s obviously loved being back in the UK, catching up with old friends, colleagues and just generally being able to support the incredible work of the causes that mean so much to him.”
Harry himself has long acknowledged the need to lower the temperature.
In an interview earlier this year he admitted: “There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious.”
He has also conceded that reconciliation will not be simple, saying he understands “some of my family members will find it difficult to forgive”.
The Duke’s meeting with King Charles will not instantly resolve years of tension, fuelled by his decision to step back from royal duties in 2020 and subsequent public criticisms of the monarchy.
Yet friends of the Sussexes believe the encounter signals a conscious attempt at repair.