Harry has been back in the UK for more than a month, but another meeting with King Charles III has yet to take place.
The return of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to the UK appeared to open up a new opportunity to rebuild the Duke of Sussex’s complicated relationship with the Royal Family. However, more than a month after the couple arrived in Birmingham with Archie and Lilibet, Harry is still not believed to have met his father, King Charles III, in person.
The Sussexes returned to the country on 26 August, six years after settling in the United States. Since then, Harry has resumed much of his public activity on British soil, taking part in various engagements connected to Invictus and WellChild. The couple nevertheless remain outside the official structure of the Royal Household: Buckingham Palace confirmed in September that they continue to be non-working members of the Royal Family and carry out their initiatives in a private capacity.
Despite the absence of a face-to-face meeting, Charles and Harry have remained in contact. Sources cited by People said that father and son spoke by phone during the first week following the Duke’s return to the UK.
Their last meeting was in July
The last time Harry and King Charles III met in person was in July, when the Duke and Meghan visited Highgrove House, the monarch’s Gloucestershire residence, with Archie and Lilibet. Queen Camilla was also present at what was a particularly significant family gathering following years of distance between them.
Since then, their schedules and time spent apart appear to have made another meeting difficult. Charles spent much of September in Scotland, while Harry has combined his new life in Britain with professional trips to New York and Canada.
The situation also leaves open the possibility of another reunion between the King and Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, who have begun a new chapter of their education in the UK. Harry recently said that both children are happy at their new school after changing schools for logistical and security reasons.
Security remains one of the most sensitive issues for the Sussexes. This week, their spokesperson criticised the presence of photographers near the children’s school, describing the situation as “extraordinarily reckless”.
For now, contact between Harry and Charles appears to have remained private and at a distance. His return to the country may have reduced the physical distance between them, but it remains to be seen when the next face-to-face meeting between father and son will take place.
