Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is set to travel to London next week to attend a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games at St. Paul's Cathedral on May 8. This visit comes amidst strained relations between Harry and the Royal Family, particularly with his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William.
In the couple's tell-all Netflix series, Harry revealed that he had "fundamentally disagreed" with advice given to him by King Charles regarding media coverage of Meghan Markle. "My dad said to me, 'Darling boy, you can't take on the media. The media will always be the media.' And I said, 'I fundamentally disagree,'" Harry recalled.
The Duke also claimed that he and William had made a pact to prevent their offices from leaking stories or briefing journalists about each other, a promise he believes was broken. "To see my brother's office copy the very same thing that we promised the two of us would never ever do, that was heartbreaking," Harry said in the Netflix show.
Despite the strained relationship, there are hopes for a brief reunion between Harry and Charles during the Duke's upcoming visit to London. However, the King's diary is reportedly "quite busy," with a weekly audience with the Prime Minister and potential appearances at the first of the annual Buckingham Palace garden parties scheduled for the same day.
According to The Telegraph, a potential meet-up between Harry and Charles seems unlikely due to the King's busy schedule. The Duke is also not expected to see his older brother Prince William or his sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment.
Harry's last visit to the UK was in February, when he spent just 45 minutes with his father after the King's cancer diagnosis was made public. The Duke revealed in an interview with ABC News that he was "grateful" for the time spent with his father during that brief visit.
The upcoming trip to London is expected to be a working visit for Harry, with the possibility of meetings with representatives from various UK-based charities he supports. He may also take the opportunity to catch up with his friend Johnny Mercer, the veterans minister, who is spearheading the UK's bid to host the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Later in May, both Harry and Meghan are scheduled to fly to Nigeria for a quasi-royal tour in connection with the Invictus Games. The couple is expected to meet with Nigerian officials, veterans, and athletes participating in the Games, engaging in activities aimed at promoting mental health awareness, physical rehabilitation, and the critical role that sport can play in recovery.
