With King Charles set to travel to the US in 2026 for a state visit, many royal watchers have pondered whether the monarch will journey to California to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their young children
Charles is set to visit the US this year, with many wondering if he will see Harry and his family(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
With King Charles expected to travel to the United States in April 2026 for an historic state visit, many royal fans have been left wondering whether the monarch will take a trip to sunny California to connect with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and their young children Archie and Lilibet.
While Charles’ visit Stateside has not yet been officially confirmed by the Palace, reliable royal sources have claimed that the King and Queen Camilla will travel to America in the Spring with the visit coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US declaration of independence from Britain.
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Prince Harry and King Charles have had a strained relationship for several years(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Sources in both Washington DC and London have alleged that the plans being negotiated include a visit to the White House in late April for a string of historic events, on the condition that Charles’ health allows him to travel.
According to The Sun, Trump’s administration is planning a string of events to mark the 250-year anniversary of the founding of the United States, with the royal visit being a “major moment” in the run-up to the July 4 Independence Day celebrations.
While the trip and potential itinerary have yet to be confirmed, many royal watchers have started speculating whether Charles will make the journey to see his grandchildren while in the US, despite his fractured relationship with Prince Harry.
Harry and his father have had a strained relationship since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit their royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California. Since then, Harry has spoken candidly about the Royal Family, delivering a series of public jabs against Charles, Prince William and the entire Firm.
Through his and Meghan’s explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple’s Netflix docuseries in 2022 and Harry’s memoir Spare in 2023, Harry has called out his family and aired numerous allegations against the royals.
While Harry’s relationship with Charles remains largely estranged, the father and son reunited in September last year for a 50 minute private tea at Clarence House while Harry was in the UK for the annual WellChild Awards.
Meghan and Harry travelled to the UK with Archie and Lilibet in 2022 for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee(Image: Getty Images)
It is believed the meeting between them – which was the first time they had seen each other in 20 months – went well, leading many to believe that a reconciliation between the Sussexes and the Royal Family may be on the horizon.
Despite Harry’s difficult relationship with his father, the Duke of Sussex has expressed his desire for his young children, Archie and Lilibet, to get to know their grandfather and learn more about the UK.
A source told The Sun : “Harry has made it clear that he would love his dad to come and visit him and the family. He knows that they are strained, but he has mentioned several times a hope that his father can have a relationship with his grandchildren.”
Harry wants his father to have a good relationship with Archie and Lilibet(Image: INSTAGRAM/@MEGHAN)
Archie, 6, was born in the UK and was less than a year old when he moved to California, while Lilibet was born in the United States. It is believed that Lilibet met her grandfather Charles for the first time in 2022, when Harry and Meghan travelled to the UK with their children for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Since then, Charles has not seen his grandchildren.
At the time, a royal source claimed the meeting had been “very emotional”, adding that it was “very, very special” for Charles to spend time with his grandchildren. They said: “He hadn’t met Lili, his granddaughter, and so to meet her was very emotional, a very, very wonderful thing.”
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