Church of Danica and Brian Melley
Updated ,first published
London: King Charles III welcomed Prince Harry and met his family for the first time in years on Friday as they try to mend the rift that has continued since his youngest son and his wife left royal life and moved to America six years ago.
Harry, Meghan and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, met the King and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, an estate in west London, Buckingham Palace confirmed.
The Duke of Sussex arrived on Monday in his homeland for several charity events that were shrouded in speculation as to whether he would meet his father.
British tabloids and news outlets were abuzz with speculation about whether Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, would accompany him and, more importantly, whether they would bring their two children so they could finally meet grandfather Charles.
However, a king’s schedule is often drawn up over many years, with events penned long before they happen. The opportunity to hold such a meeting would be short-lived, especially because the children would need to go back to school in the summer and because they live in California.
The desire to seize this moment fueled tensions between Harry and royal officials earlier this week. That was underscored by embarrassing incidents when royal officials first invited Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace, then rescinded the offer after the prince did not accept it in time.
Harry’s visit also accompanied him lost his last case in his bid to control the British tabloids. The judge decided so failed to substantiate his claim of invasion of privacy against the publisher of Daily Mail.
His legal battle has been a source of friction with his family, however. Harry has said he wants to reunite with his 77-year-old father, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Harry and Charles met briefly for a cup of tea in September during a short visit to London, the first time they had seen each other in more than a year.
But the prince has also wanted his children to see the monarch, who they met for the first time during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
The royal children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, are now old enough to remember meeting their grandfather, and will no doubt be looking forward to photos with the monarch, although the event was deemed private and no photos will be released publicly.
Tensions within the House of Windsor have increased since Harry and Meghan left their royal duties and moved to California to pursue lucrative media deals, without the pressures of royal life in London.
They hit an all-time low after Harry published an explosive memoir that included unflattering portrayals of the royal family and damning claims of a toxic relationship between the royals and the press.
Harry’s description of the royal family leaking information about other family members to cover themselves is just one of the serious allegations in his book, “Spare”. The prince was deeply resentful of Camilla, accusing her of feeding private conversations to the media as she sought to rehabilitate her image after her long relationship with Charles when he became heir to the throne.
After losing a court battle over his security last year, Harry said he hoped to rebuild his relationship with his family, even as he suggested the royal family sought to prevent him from getting police protection to punish him for abandoning royal duties.
“I would like reconciliation with my family. There is no need to keep fighting anymore,” Harry told the BBC. “I don’t know how long my father has.”
