On August 24, members of the royal family attended a church service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where they are spending the final weeks of summer. Decamping to the idyllic property nestled in the Scottish Highlands has been a royal tradition since 1852, and this year brought a sizable group: King Charles III and wife Queen Camilla have been joined by Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton and their three kids, the king’s sister Princess Anne and husband Sir Timothy Laurence (with her son, Peter Phillips, and new fiancée Harriet Sperling), and Prince Edward and his wife, Duchess Sophie. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were also expected to descend upon Balmoral for the annual family vacation.
Not surprisingly, Charles’ estranged son, Prince Harry, and wife Meghan Markle did not make the guest list. The father and son have been on the outs since Harry, 40, left his royal post in 2020. They appeared to make some headway in July when members of their respective teams met in the U.K. — seemingly to open up the lines of communication — but a source tells Us progress has been slow, and that they haven’t spoken outside of a “brief phone call” for the king’s 76th birthday late last year.
Now, a sliver of hope for the pair: There’s potential for a face-to-face meeting when Harry arrives in England for the WellChild Awards, which is set to take place on Monday, September 8. According to royal sources and experts, Harry is on board, but the ball is in Charles’ court. And the king, who is currently battling cancer, is torn. “Charles does want to meet Harry,” says a royal insider. “He doesn’t want this falling-out to overshadow his legacy. But Harry has caused chaos and hurt, so it’s complicated.” Adds royal historian Marlene Koenig: “If there is a meeting, it will be private and more likely to be on the king’s terms rather than Harry’s.”
Baby Steps
The relationship between Charles and Harry hit a low point in May, after a British court upheld its decision to remove Harry’s automatic police protection in the U.K. In an emotional BBC interview, Harry appeared to both implicate his father in the court’s ruling (“There is a lot of control and my ability in my father’s hands,” he said) while also expressing his desire to reconcile (“There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has … he won’t speak to me,” he added).
Two months later, things were looking up. On July 9, Harry and Meghan’s new chief communications officer, Meredith Maines, and his PR person, Liam Maguire, met with Charles’ director of communications, Tobyn Andreae. It took place at the private members’ club Royal Over-Seas League in London — although the trio first sat out on the terrace, where they were photographed. The royal insider says both sides likely agreed to leak information about the sit-down in order to “allow the public to warm up to the idea” of Charles and Harry reconciling. “It [would take] time for the public to get used to it,” the insider explains, adding, “but ultimately, the public wants them to make amends.”
The momentum could lead to a one-on-one between Harry and Charles — the first since Harry flew to England to see the king following his February 2024 cancer announcement. “A meeting is feasible, and both sides are open to it,” says the royal insider. “This marks the first tentative steps of a reconciliation.” The source says the likelihood of a get-together is “high” but notes that it’s more inclined to be cordial and brief versus an “in-depth” conversation about mending fences.
There are logistics to consider. Charles is scheduled to host Donald Trump during the president’s visit to the U.K. from September 17–19 with first lady Melania Trump. If there is a conflict between the king’s duties and preparation for Trump, Charles wouldn’t change his schedule to see Harry, the source says. “It’s a state visit and takes precedence.” (The king, adds the source, “works very hard despite his illness.”)
Christopher Andersen, author of The King: The Life of King Charles III, believes there are one too many obstacles and says the chances of a meeting between Charles and Harry are “slim,” adding that Charles will be “consumed” by Trump’s visit and is focused on his health. “The king is still undergoing weekly chemotherapy treatments, and drama would inevitably go along with some sort of summit with Harry,” Andersen tells Us. “Having Harry around is the sort of draining distraction he just doesn’t need at the moment.”
(The source tells Us a later meeting could take place in November should Harry attend the Christmas Cotswold Fair, which has yet to be confirmed. The event is held two days after the annual Festival of Remembrance.)
Painful History
Charles and Harry have been at an impasse for more than five years. Harry and Meghan’s bombshell TV interview in 2021 (in which, among other shocking allegations, they claimed they were questioned by senior royals about what color skin their future son Archie, now 6, would have) and Harry’s 2023 tell-all Spare did little to turn the tide. “While there is familial love beneath the surface between Charles and Harry, it’s currently frozen by a layer of hurt feelings, mistrust and unresolved grievances stemming from the last few years,” says the source.
Trust remains at the heart of the issue. “The wounds inflicted on Charles and William in Spare — including accusations of racism, bullying and backbiting — have yet to heal,” says Andersen.
In order to move forward, both sides would need to make changes. “Charles wants Harry first and foremost to stop talking about the royal family,” says Andersen. Harry, meanwhile, “still wants his family to receive royal protection when they’re in the U.K.” (Harry and Meghan also share daughter Lili, 4.) “That’s something Charles could make happen with a snap of his fingers,” Andersen notes.
When Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle stepped down from their positions as senior working royals, the duke’s relationship with father King Charles III dissipated. “My family literally cut me off financially, and I [needed to be able to] afford security for us,” the Duke of Sussex alleged in his bombshell CBS interview in March […]
It will be an uphill battle. “The king certainly wants a reconciliation with his son,” says Koenig, “but it would be on his terms, not Harry’s. True compromise will be difficult on both sides. I sincerely doubt that the king will respond to numerous demands from Harry.” Adds Andersen: “There’s a lot being said about ‘terms and conditions,’ which isn’t a terribly good sign.”
In late July, Harry appeared to extend an olive branch when he offered to share his official calendar with the royal family in order to avoid scheduling conflicts (earlier that month, U.K. newspapers reported that Harry’s trip to Angola had overshadowed Camilla’s 78th birthday) and possibly help Harry and Charles’ camps work out a time for them to meet. Says the source: “Harry wanted to show his father’s team that he’s serious about finding a window for communication.”
Pivotal Decision
A sit-down between father and son could have far-reaching consequences. “This meetup is make-or-break,” says the royal insider. “If it goes well, it could lead to other family members being open to better relationships. If things get leaked negatively, then it’s done, and there’s no chance [for peace].” (Where does William stand on all this? The source says he’s “neutral but wary” of a potential meet-up.)
Time is of the essence considering the king’s health. (The insider adds that Harry is also keen to get on good terms before the 2027 Invictus Games kick off in his home country.) “Harry is concerned about his father and feels the weight of time,” says the source, noting that a “heightened sense of urgency” is “a catalyst” for both sides to try to work things out. “For Charles, a meeting with Harry means establishing harmony. [He] understands that headlines and strife are not good for anyone, and he wants things to move forward. For Harry, it’s an opening for his children to have a relationship with their grandfather.” Adds the royal insider: “[They could finally] clear the air and have a fresh start.”
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