Prince Harry set to reunite with King Charles but Prince William opts out

The Duke of Sussex is expected to return to the UK in two weeks to attend the WellChild Awards, where he will come face-to-face with his father, King Charles, for the first time in 20 months

Prince Harry will reunite with the King (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Prince Harry is set to see his father, King Charles, for the first time in 20 months when he returns to Britain in two weeks – though Prince William has dismissed any reconciliation with his brother.

The warming of relations between the Duke of Sussex and the monarch follows an informal peace summit with Buckingham Palace officials.

Harry is anticipated in London on September 8 – the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death – to attend the WellChild Awards, a charity event he has long championed.

The date represents the Duke’s first visit since his unsuccessful appeal against the reduction of his security protection in the UK.

Meanwhile, the King is in the UK and does not have a scheduled foreign visit until later in September, creating the opportunity for father and son to meet face-to-face for the first time since February 2024.

The pair have not seen one another since January last year, a period during which His Majesty has been receiving treatment for cancer.

A US source told the Mirror : “It’s clear there is now a determination on both sides to make this happen. Nobody is pretending the wider family issues have been resolved, but this is about beginning with Charles and Harry.

“For the first time in a long time, there’s a genuine sense that reconciliation is within reach. Prince Harry’s team and the Palace have opened a line of communication, and there is every hope that father and son will see one another when the Duke returns to London in September.”

They continued: “After 20 months apart, and with the King continuing his treatment, the feeling is that the time is right to take that step. This is not about grand gestures or set-piece meetings – it’s about a simple face-to-face conversation between a father and his son.

“The priority is privacy and dignity, but also ensuring the door stays open for further dialogue. As for Harry and William, though, any chance of reconciliation between them has been rejected out of hand.”

Despite the potential encounter, it is understood Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, will continue her self-imposed absence from Britain, choosing to remain in California with the couple’s two children, Archie and Lilibet.

Charles has not seen his grandchildren since June 2022, when the Sussexes returned for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Last month, Harry’s chief communications officer, Meredith Maines, met the King’s press secretary Tobyn Andreae for talks at the Royal Overseas League in London.

Liam Maguire, who manages the Sussexes’ UK press, also attended the meeting, which was viewed as a significant step towards establishing dialogue.

The discussions included the possibility of Harry receiving direct updates on his father’s health and coordination to avoid clashes between Sussex projects and royal engagements.

In May, the Duke spoke openly about his distress in a BBC interview, revealing he was “devastated” following his unsuccessful legal battle to maintain police protection whilst in Britain.

He informed the broadcaster he “would love a reconciliation” with his family but expressed frustration that the King “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.”

He declared he no longer wished to fight and remarked: “I do not know how much longer my father has.”

Despite that public plea, there has been minimal personal communication. The Duchess of Sussex and their children, Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, chose to remain in the States following the prince’s earlier statement that he “can’t see a world” in which he could bring his children to Britain without adequate security protection.

While the King has shown willingness to reconcile, relations between Harry and the Prince of Wales remain severely strained.

A separate source revealed: “William feels Harry has repeatedly chosen public exposure over private resolution and that the Royal Family can’t keep being dragged into the headlines every time there’s a new contract to promote.

“The issue with Harry, as well as Meghan, is one of trust. Ever since moving to North America, they have eroded all confidence in their ability to keep things or their criticisms private.

“For there to be any chance of moving forward, that trust has to be rebuilt, and Team Sussex knows the onus is on them.”

Since their departure from royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan have consistently criticised the monarchy. Their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, where they alleged racism within the institution and claimed Meghan was left suicidal, ignited international controversy.

Their Netflix docuseries in 2022 accused the palace of “unconscious bias” and leaking stories to the press, while Harry’s memoir Spare, published in early 2023, alleged that William physically attacked him during a disagreement over Meghan and accused Queen Camilla of briefing against him to enhance her image.

While Charles has been described as “deeply saddened” by the couple’s allegations, the King has consistently kept the door open for reconciliation. In contrast, it is believed that William has taken a tougher stance, seeing little chance of mending the rift.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Buckingham Palace declined to comment.