King Charles has had a private reunion with his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, whom he had not seen for four years, according to sources. The meeting took place on Friday afternoon at Highgrove House, the king's private residence in Gloucestershire, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children present, along with Queen Camilla.
First meeting since 2022
The last time Charles saw Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, was during the late Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations in 2022. The reunion had been speculated after it was announced that Prince Harry would be in the UK this week to promote the Invictus Games. However, initial plans for Meghan to join him at public engagements in Birmingham changed at the last minute, and she pulled out. It is not known when Meghan arrived in the UK; the family was believed to have been on holiday in Portugal before traveling to Britain.
Bumpy week for Harry
The reunion follows a challenging period for Prince Harry. On Tuesday, a High Court judge dismissed his claim against Associated Newspapers Ltd over unlawful information gathering. Additionally, a dispute over taxpayer-funded security for his family in the UK led to the withdrawal of an offer of accommodation at a royal residence, prompting the Sussexes to change their plans. Harry's request to stay alone at Buckingham Palace was also refused, with the palace citing insufficient time for security and staffing arrangements.
Step towards healing
No details of the Highgrove meeting were disclosed, but it is seen as a significant step towards mending the rift between Harry and his father. Since stepping down from royal duties six years ago, Harry has publicly criticized his family in TV interviews and his memoir Spare, targeting his father, stepmother Camilla, brother Prince William, and sister-in-law Catherine. His relationship with William remains strained; the family reunion occurred on the same afternoon William participated in a charity polo match at Windsor.
In February 2024, Harry made a quick trip from California to see his father after the king's cancer diagnosis, which may have initiated reconciliation. Harry has previously expressed a desire for his children to meet his father, and the two are understood to have spoken regularly by phone in recent months. Meghan has not visited the UK since September 2022, when the couple attended charity engagements coinciding with the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
