Prince Harry has reunited with his father, King Charles III, for the first time in more than a year and a half during a rare visit to the United Kingdom.
The Duke of Sussex, who has lived in California since stepping back from royal duties with his wife Meghan, met the King privately at Buckingham Palace this week. The meeting, over tea, marked their first in-person encounter since February 2024.
Harry, 39, has spoken openly about wanting to repair ties with his family after years of tension following his departure from royal life. His relationship with Charles has been complicated further by a long-running dispute over security arrangements in Britain.
Speaking briefly to reporters at a charity event after the meeting, Harry said only that his father was “doing great” while continuing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.
The four-day visit saw Harry attend events supporting charities he has championed for years, including those for sick children and wounded veterans. Meghan, along with their children Archie and Lilibet, stayed behind in the U.S.
In May, Harry told the BBC that security concerns made it unlikely he would bring his family back to the U.K. He admitted the dispute had created distance between him and the King, adding, “Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”
Wednesday’s meeting may signal the first step toward that reconciliation. Harry arrived at Buckingham Palace in the afternoon and left less than an hour later.
But while father and son may be finding a way forward, Harry’s strained relationship with his brother remains unchanged.
Prince William and Harry have not met face-to-face since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. This week, the brothers attended separate charity events in London, just 10 miles apart, but with no sign of a reunion.
“There’s no chance William and Harry are going to meet up anytime soon,” Roya Nikkhah, royal editor at the Sunday Times, told CBS News. “Relations are as bad as they’ve ever been — non-existent.”
