King Charles is understood to have enjoyed a private reunion with his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at his Gloucestershire residence, Highgrove House, on Friday afternoon. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their children, Prince Archie, aged seven, and Princess Lilibet, aged five, were hosted by the King and Queen Camilla. This marks the first time King Charles has seen his grandchildren in four years, with their last meeting occurring during the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
The family gathering had been widely anticipated after it was announced that Prince Harry would be in the UK to promote the Invictus Games. While the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, was initially expected to join him for some public engagements in Birmingham, a last-minute change of plans meant she did not attend. Details regarding her arrival in the UK remain undisclosed, though the family was understood to have been on holiday in Portugal prior to their arrival.
The reunion follows a challenging week for Prince Harry, which included a High Court judge dismissing his claim against Associated Newspapers Ltd over alleged unlawful information gathering earlier in the week. Prior to his arrival, there was also a dispute concerning the provision of taxpayer-funded security for the family while in the UK, alongside the withdrawal of an offer for accommodation at a royal residence. These issues reportedly led to the Sussexes altering their travel plans, with Meghan and the children no longer travelling to London.
Further complications arose when Prince Harry's request to stay one night at Buckingham Palace was reportedly refused. Sources close to the Sussexes suggested this was due to the impending court judgment, while the Palace was understood to have maintained that the request was made too late for appropriate security and staffing arrangements to be made. Despite these hurdles, the private meeting at Highgrove is viewed as a significant step towards healing the very public rift that has existed between Prince Harry and his father since Harry's criticisms of the Royal Family and the monarchy in various interviews and his memoir, 'Spare'.
Prince Harry's public commentary, including interviews with Oprah Winfrey and in his Netflix documentary, as well as his bestselling memoir, has openly criticised his father, stepmother Queen Camilla, brother Prince William, and sister-in-law Catherine, the Princess of Wales. These criticisms followed his decision to step down as a working royal six years ago. While the rift with his brother, Prince William, shows no immediate signs of abating – with William playing in a charity polo match at Windsor on the same afternoon as the Highgrove reunion – the meeting between Harry and his father, King Charles, indicates a potential thawing of relations. Prince Harry had previously expressed a desire for his children to reunite with their grandfather, and it is understood that he and the King have been in regular phone contact in recent months. The Duchess of Sussex has not visited the UK since September 2022, when the couple attended charity engagements that coincided with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.