After a years-long estrangement, Prince Harry and King Charles took what appeared to be the first significant step towards reconciliation earlier this month when they met one-on-one for what has been described as an "emotional" reunion.
The Sept. 10 meeting between the estranged father and son reportedly lasted 55 minutes and was described as "super positive," "very relaxed," and "very emotional," by a royal source who spoke to Us Weekly.
"The meeting was sparked by a handwritten letter from Harry earlier this year to Charles expressing his desire to reconnect," the insider explained of what prompted the meeting. "They were not sure it was going to happen until just in the last week."
The fact that Charles and Harry reunited for a face-to-face talk at all would have been a big deal, but the fact that the meeting was reporting truly a one-on-one chat between just the two of them stood out to royal author Sally Bedell Smith.
Speaking to People, Smith pointed to the absence of Queen Camilla, specifically, as significant. The last time Charles and Harry met face-to-face—shortly after the King announced his cancer diagnosis—Camilla was reportedly in the room with them for the meeting. This time, however, the Queen didn't accompany Charles when he and Harry met in London.
“The fact that Camilla wasn’t there—when she was before—would show that Harry has signaled something to him that he could be trusted one-on-one,” Smith explained.
Following the meeting, Harry said he feels like "the focus really has to be on my dad," and even expressed interest in bringing his family with him on future visits.
When asked if he would like to bring his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to visit his family members in the U.K. in the near future, Harry told The Guardian, "Yes I would. This week has definitely brought that closer."
Royal historian Robert Lacey told People that, while the pieces seem to be in place for Harry to continue rebuilding his relationships with his estranged relatives, the royals will no doubt continue taking things slowly moving forward.
"It is going to have to be handled with care, as the palace sees it, for the foreseeable future," he said. "There’s no reason why, in theory, everything should be on an even keel, but it could go the other way, too.”
While royal insiders and experts agree that Harry still has a long way to go to achieve a full reconciliation with the royal family, one royal source told People that the meeting with Charles was definitely a step in the right direction.
“It shows the way forward,” the royal insider, described as having "ties to both sides" said. “It is a good starting point.”
