Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will not be meeting with his father, King Charles III, during his current visit to the United Kingdom, despite the Duke's hopes for a reunion. The 39-year-old prince, who now resides in California, touched down in London on Tuesday morning to attend events surrounding the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, the international sporting event he founded for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans.
A spokesperson for the Duke confirmed that a meeting with the King would not be possible due to His Majesty's full schedule and various other priorities. "The Duke of course is understanding of his father's diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon," the spokesperson stated.
The news comes as a disappointment for Prince Harry, who had made no secret of his desire to see his father during this visit. In an interview with a US breakfast show from Whistler, Canada, a few days after visiting the King in February following his cancer diagnosis, the Duke spoke about how sickness could bring families together. "I love my family. And the fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see [my father] and spend any time with him, I'm grateful for that," he said at the time.
Despite the missed opportunity, the Duke remains committed to his Invictus Games commitments. On Tuesday, he attended a one-day summit called the Invictus Games Foundation Conversation at the Honourable Artillery Company's headquarters in London. In the foreword for the summit programme, Prince Harry wrote, "It has been an honour to watch the Invictus Games Foundation grow over the years; what began as a vision to pay tribute to the courage and resilience of wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans, has flourished into an international organisation built on hope, strength, and unity."
On Wednesday, the Duke will attend a service of Thanksgiving marking the 10th anniversary of the Games at St Paul's Cathedral, where he will give a reading. Actor Damian Lewis, known for his role in the television series "Homeland," will recite the Invictus poem during the service.
Buckingham Palace has highlighted the King's busy diary this week, which is said to leave little room for manoeuvre. The 75-year-old monarch, who recently returned to his royal duties after taking time off due to his illness, has meetings on Wednesday morning and is expected to attend a Buckingham Palace garden party in the afternoon, followed by his weekly audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. On Thursday, he has a public engagement outside of London and is continuing with his cancer treatment, which involves regular hospital appointments.
An insider previously claimed that the father-son duo had been planning to spend time together during the Duke's visit. "Harry's priority when he comes to England is to see his dad. He is pretty focused on this," the source revealed. "It will be his first port of call when he comes off the plane, to try and spend as much time with King Charles so that they can build bridges and enjoy each other's company like before."
However, the inability to align their schedules will likely dash hopes that the long-fractured relations between the Duke and the Royal Family are on the mend. Prince Harry is expected to be in London for three days before flying to Nigeria, where he will be joined by his wife, Meghan, for a quasi-royal tour.
British broadcaster Helena Chard recently commented on the King's challenges, stating, "King Charles has endured a rocky time. However, he has proved himself to be a very strong, focused king ... He is a huge force for good and stability ... He has surprised many people who wrongly believed he would be a weak king." Chard also alleged that the King "finds it hard to reprimand when necessary" and "is sad about situations involving his darling boy Harry. He hopes his sons will not make his final years a misery and is hopeful they will sort their differences out in time."
