Buckingham Palace has confirmed that a Garden Party will commence on May 6, a date that also marks Prince Archie’s seventh birthday.
It is not yet known who will be present at the King’s Garden Party, as attendance will be confirmed on the day.
Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle departed from their senior royal roles and relocated to the United States in 2020, the King has had minimal contact with Archie.
Their last confirmed meeting took place during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in London in 2022, an occasion that also marked Charles’s first encounter with Princess Lilibet, Archie’s younger sister.
Buckingham Palace confirms plans on date that coincide with Prince Archie’s birthday
|
GETTY / INSTAGRAM: MEGHAN
In a BBC interview last year, the Duke of Sussex spoke candidly about his hopes for mending family ties.
Harry stated: “I would love reconciliation with my family; there’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.
“Life is precious, I don’t know how much longer my father has; he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.”
The prince acknowledged that any rapprochement ultimately rests with the Royal Family, adding: “If they don’t want that, that’s entirely up to them.”
Prince Archie holding a film clapperboard on the set of his mother’s Netflix show
|
INSTAGRAM: MEGHAN
He suggested ongoing tensions surrounding security arrangements were a central obstacle to restoring communication with his father.
Signs of a potential thaw emerged last September when Harry visited his father for a private tea at Clarence House in London.
The pair spent approximately an hour together, though the substance of their conversation remains undisclosed.
Meanwhile, Archie is expected to mark his seventh birthday with a private celebration in Montecito alongside his parents and younger sister Lilibet, who is now four.
The King and Queen, joined by the Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, at a garden party in Scotland in 2024
| PA
King Charles with Prince Archie when he was a baby |
CHRIS ALLERTON
Last year, the young prince celebrated his sixth birthday without his father present, as Harry had travelled to Las Vegas for a charity event launching a youth initiative with the Diana Award. Meghan later shared that the family had held a party before Harry’s departure.
Three gatherings are scheduled to take place in the Buckingham Palace gardens this summer, with additional events on May 8 and May 12, followed by The Not Forgotten Association Annual Garden Party on May 19, honouring ex-service personnel.
A fourth celebration will be held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on June 30.
The seasonal events will honour frontline workers from across the United Kingdom, recognising those who dedicate themselves to volunteering, charitable causes and emergency services.