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Prince Harry met with his father, King Charles III, on Wednesday afternoon at the king’s London residence, multiple outlets reported, in what was the first face-to-face meeting between the estranged father and son since February 2024.
Harry and Charles had a private tea meeting for about 50 minutes Wednesday afternoon, the BBC reported, following reports Harry had arrived at Charles’ Clarence House residence at about 5:20 p.m. London time, or 12:20 p.m. EDT.
The reasons for the meeting are unclear, though British media outlets have speculated whether Harry and Charles are working on mending their strained relationship.
In an interview with the BBC in May, Harry said he would “love a reconciliation” with his family, stating there is “no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious.”
The meeting is Harry’s first face-to-face encounter with Charles since he visited in February 2024 following his father’s cancer diagnosis, which the BBC reported was a brief, 30-minute meeting.
Harry has had a fractured relationship with his family since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from royal duties in 2020, moved to California and spoke publicly about their experience in the royal family through various media ventures.
Harry is in the United Kingdom this week, without Markle or their children, for charity outings, though rumors had swirled for days in British media about whether he and Charles would have a rare meeting.
Harry has had a strained relationship with his family since he and Markle left their positions as senior royals in 2020, though tensions were exacerbated by his 2023 memoir, “Spare,” and other media appearances in which Harry made claims about treatment from his family, including his recollection of private conversations. In one claim, Harry wrote in “Spare” Charles begged his sons: “Please boys – don't make my final years a misery.” Harry also alleged Charles thanked his mother, Princess Diana, for providing him with an “heir and a spare”—referring to Prince William as the “heir,” and Harry as the “spare”—after Harry was born. Harry and Charles’ relationship has more recently been strained over Harry’s lawsuit against the U.K. government for downgrading his security protections after he left the royal family, which he argued he was entitled to and needed especially because of the media scrutiny he and Markle had faced. The BBC reported Buckingham Palace viewed the lawsuit as a slight against it, stating the royal family “viewed it as the King's son suing the King's government through the King's courts.” Harry lost an appeal fighting for his security detail in May. Following the court’s decision, he told the BBC he would like to reconcile with his family, singling out his father, noting Charles “won't speak to me because of this security stuff,” referring to the court battle. Harry told the BBC he wanted to reconcile with his father because, at 76 and with health issues, he does “not know how much longer my father has.”
Harry has seldom visited the United Kingdom after stepping back from his royal duties, but he arrived in Britain on Monday for a four-day trip with several charity visits planned. On Monday, he visited the grave of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the third anniversary of her death, and he visited WellChild, a charity he supports for seriously ill children, with additional meetings planned this week with representatives for charities he supports.