CNN understands that the King welcomed Prince Harry for a private tea at Clarence House on Wednesday afternoon.
Rumors of a father-son reunion had intensified during Harry’s solo return to Britain this week for a series of charity events. Back in May, the Duke had openly expressed his wish to mend ties with his family.
Earlier on Wednesday, the 40-year-old Duke paid a visit to the Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London.
King Charles, who continues his cancer treatment, had been residing at Balmoral in Scotland for the summer months. He is believed to have returned to London that afternoon to resume royal duties, including hosting South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas for an audience.
The last occasion Charles and Harry were together was back in February 2024, when the Duke made a swift trip to Britain for a brief 30-minute meeting following the King’s cancer diagnosis. When Harry returned in April for his ongoing legal battle over UK security, he was unable to see his father, as the King was abroad on a state visit to Italy.
Though it remains uncertain whether their long-standing rift has fully healed, recent signs suggest movement toward reconciliation. In July, senior aides from both sides were spotted in London, in what was widely interpreted as the first step toward reopening communication channels.
A family estranged:
Tensions within the family had already peaked long before the duke challenged the downgrading of his security in Britain.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, alleged that a member of the family had expressed concerns about the skin tone of their first child, Prince Archie, before he was born. Meanwhile, Harry’s controversial memoir featured several incendiary accusations against his family, including that his brother Prince William had physically attacked him during an argument over Meghan.
Back in May, Harry offered rare insight into the strained family dynamics, telling the BBC that his father had distanced himself amid the Duke’s ongoing legal dispute with the UK Home Office.
During the interview, Harry expressed a deep wish to mend fences with the Windsor family. He admitted that “some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book… they will never forgive me for lots of things,” yet emphasized that his ultimate hope was for reconciliation.
“There’s no point in continuing the fight anymore,” he reflected, signaling his readiness to move forward.
Brothers remain apart
There has, however, been no sign of an olive branch between the brothers. William’s immediate focus over the past year has been on his wife, Catherine, and their young children, as she went through treatment for cancer and is finding balance between life at home and royal duties.Both brothers have been kept busy with a run of engagements over the past few days. Harry’s penultimate day of events on Wednesday saw him visit Imperial College London’s Centre for Blast Injury Studies, which he opened in 2013. Later, he attended a reception for his Invictus Games Foundation. The prior meeting with his father meant that Harry arrived around 40 minutes late.
The duke appeared relaxed as he entered the event, responding to a reporter’s question about his father: “Yes, he’s great, thank you,” according to Britain’s PA Media news agency.
His foundation is set to donate $500,000 to support injured children from Gaza and Ukraine through projects developing prosthetics, medical evacuations and humanitarian support, Reuters reported citing the duke’s office.
“No single organization can solve this alone,” the duke said. “Gaza now has the highest density of child amputees in the world and in modern history. It takes partnerships across government, science, medicine, humanitarian response and advocacy to ensure children survive and can recover after blast injuries.”
Meanwhile, Prince William was in Wales Wednesday to tour a new mental health hub on World Suicide Prevention Day.
On Thursday, Harry will carry out his final engagement with another charity he has long-standing ties to – The Diana Award – before he is expected to fly home to the US.Since arriving in London on Monday, the Duke has maintained a busy schedule. His first stop was Windsor, where he marked the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. In a quiet, private moment inside St. George’s Chapel, he paid tribute to his late grandmother by laying a wreath and flowers at her final resting place before continuing with a series of public engagements.
At nearly the same time, less than 10 miles away in Sunningdale, Prince William and Princess Kate attended a commemorative service honoring the late Queen. Despite their close proximity, the estranged brothers did not cross paths.
Later that day, Harry fulfilled his role as patron of the WellChild Awards, celebrating the courage of seriously ill children and their families. His engagements then took him to Nottingham, where he announced a personal donation of £1.1 million ($1.49 million) to support young people affected by violence during a visit to the Community Recording Studio. Meanwhile, William returned to London to champion a youth-focused organization funded through his “Homewards” homelessness initiative.
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