During Prince Harry’s UK visit this month, amid widespread speculation and media reports, a private family gathering took place between Harry and his father, alongside Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet.
Queen Camilla was also in attendance at Highgrove, offering support to the King. Royal biographer Robert Jobson describes her presence at the highly anticipated meeting as “very significant.”
On the Sun’s Royal Exclusive podcast, he stated: “The one thing that I think is very significant in all of this, given that Harry was not overly critical of the King, but he was very critical of Queen Camilla, was that she was there to support the King because she was also there to witness what was said.
“And so they are covering each other there because, you know, Meghan and Harry have got a tendency really to have, you know, get – try and get what they want and what they need.
“I’m sure that it would have been better with Camilla there and more difficult for them to almost push the King, who was a very kind man, a gentle man, I think, into a corner.”
The duchess was reportedly disappointed not to have undertaken any public events (Image: Getty)
The relationship between 41-year-old Harry and his stepmother is understood to be somewhat strained, with Harry having previously characterized her as “dangerous” and a “villain”.
The private gathering at Highgrove House on July 10 marked the first occasion the children had seen their grandfather since their appearance during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee festivities in 2022.
No photographs from the encounter were made public, and the encounter was characterized as a “private” family occasion.
The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex paid the UK a flying visit (Image: Getty)
The gathering had been preceded by an intense exchange between Prince Harry’s representatives and Buckingham Palace over his accommodation arrangements during the trip, with both parties briefing journalists to advance their competing objectives.
Questions also arose concerning security matters. Specifically, there were concerns that she felt unable to attend any public appearances alongside her husband during their short stay.
A source close to the Duke and Duchess told The Times: “This is not the first time it has not been plain sailing with correspondence or trying to make things work. It all comes back to security. If that was resolved, there would be so much more certainty every time he comes – or they come.”
It marked Meghan’s first return to the UK in four years, and she had intended to accompany Harry at multiple events connected to the Invictus Games. While some have called for Harry to relinquish his role with the Invictus Games, those in his corner maintain that he brings a unique “sparkle” and “magic” to the event.
David Wiseman, a key influence within the Invictus organization, told People magazine: “Bearing in mind how much he’s got going on in different facets of his life, he’s showing how dedicated he is to the Invictus movement.”
Wiseman further noted that Harry had “committed so much of his time and energy to the Invictus Games Foundation, events and everything that’s building towards the games in 2027.”
He went on to say: “I’ve said this before: [Harry is] through and through a true leader in the international veteran community. You can see that when he’s in a room with [the veterans], he comes alive and gets his energy from them. It’s been a distracting week for him, but I’m also positive he will have gained a lot of energy by hanging out with people with whom he has so much affinity.”
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