Yesterday marked a heartfelt reunion as the saw his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, once again.
Charles and Camilla discreetly welcomed Harry, Meghan, and their two children at Highgrove for a much-anticipated family gathering.
The reunion took place at the monarch’s private residence in Gloucestershire, conveniently located near both Oxfordshire, where Charles had been engaged in official duties, and Birmingham, where Prince Harry attended an Invictus Games countdown event.
The meeting was organized under a veil of confidentiality.
It had been since 2022 that Charles last saw Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who were then just three and one year old. He last met with Harry, now 41, in September of the previous year. Tensions rose earlier this week when Charles had to publicly correct an inaccurate claim from Harry’s PR team suggesting he had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace during his UK visit.
In fact, after weeks of refusing his father’s invitation, he accepted too late.
Harry arrived in the UK on Monday. The following day he lost his High Court case alleging wrong-doing by Associated Newspapers, the publishers of the Daily Mail, and yesterday he started the year-long countdown to his Invictus Games.
Meghan and the children slipped into Britain unnoticed from their holiday home in Europe.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in a shot posted by Meghan on her Instagram page in December 2025
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose on the steps as they arrive at a garden party at Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, on May 20, 2026
Harry said last year that the court’s decision not to reinstate his police security makes ‘it’s impossible for me to bring my family back to the UK.’ Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their children Archie (left) and Lilibet (right)
Buckingham Palace refused to discuss any further details of what was described as a ‘private family occasion’.
The King and his senior officials had always hoped for a low-key, ‘peaceful’ family reconciliation, but weeks of leaks and briefings by Team Sussex had left them both ‘weary and wary’.
Both Charles and Camilla have been vilified by the prince in multiple interviews and documentaries, not to mention his memoir and sources described the situation as ‘sad’ for the King who is 77 and still living with cancer.
No images of yesterday’s meeting will be released. And, while the move will be welcomed as a thaw in family relations, palace courtiers will no doubt be carefully watching the Sussexes next move.
Meanwhile, although they were barely 100 miles apart on public engagements yesterday Prince William and his estranged brother might still have been on different sides of the Atlantic.
The heir to the throne was supported by his beaming wife, the Princess of Wales, as he led his team to victory in the DMMI Royal Charity Cup at the Guards Polo Club at Windsor.
Sporting an eye-catching black and white gingham Alice Temperley dress with £260 low-heeled nude Camilla Elphick sling-backs, Catherine, 44, cheered her husband from the sidelines then presented him with a trophy – and a kiss on each cheek for good measure – before they left, smiling, hand in hand.
The event was raising funds for ten charities supported by the couple, ranging from homelessness to mental health. In the 15 years William has taken part in the event he has helped to raise more than £15million for good causes.
The then Prince Charles holds a one-year-old Prince Harry in Kensington Palace
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wave to the crowd on their wedding day in May 2018
The Duke of Sussex takes part in a session of wheelchair rugby in Birmingham today
Prince Harry and Ade Adepitan at the Invictus Games event at the NEC in Birmingham today
The Duke of Sussex and TV presenter Alison Hammond at the NEC in Birmingham this morning
William later changed into his navy ‘4’ jersey and jodhpurs as the match got underway
By contrast Prince Harry was riding solo at an event in Birmingham to mark the one-year countdown to his Invictus Games for injured service personnel, which returns to the UK next July. Barely days ago his spokesman had announced that Meghan would be joining him as part of a week of public engagements.
Even after Harry, 41, began prevaricating about the trip over apparent fears for his family’s security, his team were stressing to friendly media that she still planned to attend.
But on Thursday night his spokesman announced the Duchess of Sussex had pulled out.
They said she still planned to travel to England with their children but would no longer take part in public events.
However it was strongly hinted that she would be present for ‘private’ family moments, raising the prospect of a meeting with the King, as well as what has been described as a ‘family reunion’ with the Spencer family at Althorp, Princess Diana’s ancestral home.
In Birmingham one observer said Harry had his ‘game face’ on. He gave an ‘interview’ to This Morning’s Alison Hammond, which consisted mainly of her telling him how wonderful he was, as well as a speech in which he urged people to learn from the ‘Invictus community’.