Although Meghan Markle will take her children to the UK, it is understood she and the youngsters will not join Prince Harry on any official engagements, including the Invictus Games events
20:14, 09 Jul 2026Updated 21:29, 09 Jul 2026
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex is currently in the UK on a visit(Image: Getty Images)
Meghan Markle is bringing Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to the UK to join Prince Harry this week, it is understood.
But it is believed the Duchess of Sussex, 44, and the children will not participate in public engagements here despite the Duke of Sussex’s busy week promoting the Invictus Games.
While Harry will be at a public event in Birmingham on Friday, it is reported tonight that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will only join him for private family events, away from the cameras.
This does pave the way for King Charles to have an emotional reunion with his grandchildren whom he hasn’t seen since 2022. The King, 77, has only met Archie, seven, on a handful of occasions when Harry and Meghan lived in the UK and only met five-year-old Lilibet once when the family returned for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
Relations between the King and his estranged younger son have remained fractious since Harry, along with his wife, in March 2020 decided to quit their royal roles, in favour of setting up a new life in the United States.
The Mirror exclusively reported the monarch has instructed senior aides to engage in ongoing talks with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to secure time in his busy diary around his public duties, and this looks set now to be Friday or Saturday. The Sussexes are understood to be returning to California on Sunday.
A royal source told us: “The King would not pass up the opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren and if there is a way of making it possible, he will do it.” We reported several one-to-one conversations between father and son have taken place in recent weeks, with one source describing the tone as “hopeful”.
The family will stay with Harry’s uncle Earl Spencer at Althorp House, Princess Diana’s childhood home and where she is buried, it is believed. This is in West Northamptonshire, within easy reach to both Birmingham and London for any family engagements.
Harry with the medical staff of the Birmingham Children’s Hospital(Image: Aaron Chown/Pool PA via AP)
“So it’s been confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex will NOT attend any public facing engagements in the UK, contrary to the initial plan publicised by the Sussex team. It’s thought Meghan, might still come to the UK with the couple’s children, Archie and Lilibet, but only for private family events, away from the cameras,” read a tweet by Chris Ship, ITV’s Royal Editor.
Harry landed in the UK on Monday, and has been carrying out duties in the country, including an emotional visit to a hospital in Birmingham, where he melted into a hug with a nurse.
Here the Mirror breaks down Harry’s engagements in the UK throughout Thursday, including the visit to Birmingham Childrens’ Hospital. There, he even spoke about Archie, telling a child his son loves Lego. The Duke of Sussex described Archie, seven, as “a master builder”.
We also look at engagements other royals, including King Charles, have completed on Thursday, just days before what is expected to be an emotional reunion. King Charles and Queen Camilla were more than 100 miles from Harry on Thursday, as they attended London Zoo where the veterinarian team undertook health checks on a Humboldt penguin, one of 71 owned by the zoo, checking his heart rate with a stethoscope.
Harry told about challenges facing NHS
Prince Harry received an emotional hug as he visited a children’s hospital while the King and Prince William carried out their own engagements hundreds of miles away.
The Duke of Sussex was mobbed by nurses as he toured Birmingham Children’s Hospital to celebrate 20 years of the WellChild charity’s specialist nursing programme, which helps seriously ill children. WellChild is one of the few UK-based patronages that Harry retains, and as he arrived at the hospital, it sparked excitement among medics, including one nurse who flung her arms around the prince.
Families also asked for pictures, and the duke posed for a group shot with around a dozen nurses, telling them: “Thank you for everything you do.”
Harry chats with nursing staff during a visit to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital(Image: Getty Images)
He then chatted with a room of charity executives, nurses and families, where he spoke about the “financial difficulties” facing the NHS. He told them: “I understand, and we understand, that it becomes harder every week with cuts and financial difficulties… just the insanity that seems to be circulating, not just in this country but in general.
“But hospitals like this don’t run without people like you, and families like this can’t be families that they want to be at home without the expertise and the skill set that you’re handing over to them, and WellChild is right at the centre of that.”
‘My son is a master builder’
However, in a lighter moment, the prince chatted with 12-year-old Alec Hill, with Harry revealing his son Prince Archie’s love of toy building bricks. “Do you know who’s obsessed with Lego? My son Archie – and he’s a master builder,” said Harry. Alec, who has a rare chromosomal condition and immune system disease, also chatted football with Harry, who made a rare reference to estranged brother William.
Harry told the youngster: “I used to be an Arsenal supporter. Who do you support?” and when the little boy replied, Aston Villa, Harry said: “Aston Villa, my brother supports Aston Villa.”
Harry with 12-year-old Alec Hill(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
There were also positive words for the schoolboy from the duke, who told him: “You’ve got a lot going on, and you had your mum and dad really worried, now looks like you’re on the road to recovery – get you out of this hospital as soon as possible.” He also discussed the World Cup when he quizzed former WellChild patient Wyatt Makwana, 12, about England’s chances in their quarter-final match on Saturday.
Wyatt said: “If England do win against Norway, I don’t think they will get past the semis,” and the duke made the room laugh when he replied: “Let’s hope you’re wrong.”
Harry’s encouraging words for 12-year-old who’s ‘been through the wars’
Meanwhile, Harry sat on Bilal Mirza’s hospital bed and listened as the 12-year-old told how his chest pains were symptoms of pneumonia that developed into septic shock and saw him spend time in intensive care, but he is now undergoing a gradual discharge with help from WellChild nurse Nicky Holt.
The duke told the 12-year-old: “You’ve been through the wars, you scared everybody by the sound of it.”
Prince Harry at Birmingham Children’s Hospital(Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
Royals carry out duties hundreds of miles apart
Harry’s public outing today came after the Mirror revealed how his father, the King hopes to meet Harry and Meghan this week, paving the way for an emotional reunion with his grandchildren. However, they did not cross paths yesterday as Charles carried out a visit almost 100 miles away at London Zoo alongside Queen Camilla.
The royal couple were at the world-famous attraction in searing temperatures to mark its bicentenary year and learn more about the Zoological Society London’s (ZSL) work in pioneering scientific research and global conservation as well as its work as a visitor attraction.
Charles feeds Polly, the Galapagos tortoise(Image: Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Wire)
The pair joined the Zoo’s veterinarian team undertaking health checks on a Humboldt penguin, one of 71 owned by the zoo, checking his heart rate with a stethoscope.
After, the King, who had donned a pair of sunglasses, was invited to join staff who were painting snails with UV orange ‘snail polish’, so they can be easily tracked in the wild. Holding a small paint brush, Charles placed a dot of purple paint on two of the snail’s shells which will help to track them once they are released into the wild in French Polynesia and remarked: “‘I’ve done many things before. But I don’t think I have ever done this!”
The King marks a snail with ‘snail’ polish(Image: Getty Images)
William ‘confident’ about England chances vs Norway
Meanwhile, Harry’s estranged brother William visited Hastings, EastSussex, where he said he was “confident” about England’s chances against Norway in their World Cup quarter-final this weekend.
The heir-to-the-throne shared his mood when he surprised a class of four and five year olds eating their packed lunches on the beach. Parent volunteer Ben Tivey, 40, who was accompanying daughter Tilly, five, and other members of Diamond Class at Cranbrook Church of England Primary School, raised the subject of the World Cup, telling William: “Come on England!” The Prince, smiling broadly, replied: “”I’m feeling confident.”
William receives a silver winkle(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
After hearing more about the fishing industry in the town, William then headed to a crazy golf course on the seafront, where he managed to top a celebrity leaderboard.
The Prince, who said he had played mini golf with his family before, played five holes at Hastings Adventure Golf as part of a day out with local young people. The Prince had made it known to them, via his Kensington Palace team, that he was particularly keen to play the windmill hole, which involves hitting the ball through moving sails to send it through the windmill and into the hole.