Prince Harry and King Charles have held a long-awaited heart-to-heart during a private meeting at Clarence House, marking the first significant step toward reconciliation after years of estrangement.
The Duke of Sussex, who arrived in the UK on Monday for the annual WellChild Awards, has kept a busy schedule of charity appearances. On Tuesday, he visited Nottingham before attending an event at Imperial College London earlier today.
According to reports from The Mirror, Harry arrived at Clarence House at 5:20 p.m., more than an hour after his father returned from Balmoral. The king had arrived at the royal residence at 3:45 p.m. following engagements at St James’ Palace. Despite speculation that their meeting would be brief, Harry stayed for 55 minutes, leaving at 6:15 p.m.
The reunion was conducted privately over tea, following King Charles’ investiture ceremony honoring Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg with an MBE for his contributions to Holocaust education. Goldberg’s portrait now hangs in Buckingham Palace alongside those of other Holocaust survivors and members of the Windrush generation.
Earlier that day, Charles presided over a Privy Council session at St James’ Palace and later met with Peter Malinauskas, the premier of South Australia. The king is expected to return to Balmoral tomorrow.
While Harry and Charles have finally reconnected, there has been no meeting between the duke and his brother, Prince William, or other senior royals. The reunion comes after years of strained relations, which deepened when Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California.
In the years since, Harry and Meghan have spoken publicly about their grievances with the monarchy, including their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, a Netflix docuseries in 2022, and Harry’s memoir Spare in 2023. The accusations widened the rift and fueled speculation that communication had broken down completely.
Hints of a possible reconciliation surfaced in July when advisors for both Charles and Harry were seen in meetings near Clarence House. Speculation grew stronger as Harry’s visit aligned with the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing, with Charles reportedly clearing his schedule during his son’s stay.
In May, Harry revealed in a BBC interview that he wished to repair his relationship with his father following the king’s cancer diagnosis, saying he “wasn’t sure how much time” Charles had left. Still, he admitted, “some members of my family may never forgive me.”
