Prince Harry Meets King Charles in First Private Encounter in 19 Months

Published: 11 September 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

Prince Harry has reunited with his father, King Charles III, in London, marking their first face-to-face meeting in more than a year and a half. The private meeting, which took place at Clarence House on Wednesday, lasted just under an hour and has reignited public attention on the strained dynamics within the royal family.

Harry, who has been in the United Kingdom on a four-day visit, was seen arriving at Clarence House shortly after 5pm in a black Range Rover. The Duke of Sussex remained inside for a 54-minute engagement with his father before departing around 6.14pm to attend another event later in the evening. Despite the brevity of the meeting, the encounter carries symbolic significance, coming after Harry’s recent remarks to the BBC in which he expressed hopes for reconciliation with his family.

Following the meeting, Harry attended a reception for the Invictus Games at the Gherkin in central London, where he interacted with sponsors and supporters. When asked about the King’s health, the duke replied warmly, “Yes, he’s great, thank you.” In his speech, Harry also light-heartedly referenced London’s ongoing tube strikes, joking that the travel delays were part of his plan to keep guests enjoying themselves at the top of the landmark venue.

King Charles, still undergoing cancer treatment, travelled from Balmoral in Aberdeenshire to London earlier in the week to fulfil a series of engagements. His meeting with Harry took place on the penultimate day of his son’s visit, which has included both public appearances and private moments of remembrance. On Monday, Harry visited Windsor Castle to lay a wreath and flowers in memory of his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the third anniversary of her passing. He later attended the WellChild Awards ceremony in London, continuing his role as patron of the charity.

The Duke of Sussex last saw his father in February 2024, shortly after Buckingham Palace confirmed the King’s cancer diagnosis. That meeting was brief, taking place less than 24 hours after the announcement, and Harry travelled alone from his California home without the Duchess of Sussex or their two children.

Relations between Harry and the wider royal family have been under significant strain since his departure as a working royal in 2020, followed by a series of highly publicised revelations in his interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Netflix documentary series, and his memoir Spare. His relationship with his elder brother, Prince William, remains particularly tense, with no sign of reconciliation during this visit. William, the Prince of Wales, was in Cardiff on Wednesday, leading events to mark World Suicide Prevention Day by opening a new mental health hub.

Family tensions have been long-standing, with King Charles previously reported to have urged his sons to put aside their differences. During a private exchange after the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021, the monarch is said to have pleaded with them, saying, “Please, boys. Don’t make my final years a misery.”

Despite the divisions, there have been indications in recent months of tentative steps toward mending ties. Senior aides from both the King’s household and Harry’s team were seen together in London in July, a development interpreted by some as an effort to reopen channels of communication between father and son.

While the brevity of Wednesday’s meeting suggests that tensions have not fully eased, the encounter may nevertheless be a cautious step toward rebuilding personal and family bonds that have been strained for years.