Prince Harry could find himself in the same country as his estranged father, King Charles, again next year – but it seems a reunion may not be on the cards
Prince Harry and King Charles’ feud explained
After a long-awaited reunion, Prince Harry is still to have a follow-up face-to-face meeting with his father, King Charles. The pair, who are known to have a rocky relationship, had their first meet-up in 18 months earlier this year, when Harry stopped by Clarence House for tea with his dad while on a trip to the UK.
It came after Harry said his father was no longer talking to him amid his court case against the UK Home Office over his security arrangements while in the UK, which he ultimately lost. But several months on from their 55-minute meeting at Clarence House, many are wondering when their next reunion could be. And it appears that in the first half of next year, they could be in the same country again.
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Reports have suggested that King Charles and Queen Camilla could be embarking on a state visit to the USA, the same country where Harry resides with his wife Meghan and children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who have barely seen their grandfather.
But despite the potential close proximity, royal expert Jennie Bond says it’s unlikely a meet-up during this trip would be on the cards. The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror : “State visits are incredibly busy. The schedule is worked out months in advance and is tightly packed with carefully curated engagements designed to enhance bilateral relations.
“There is very little downtime, and I can’t think that the King would fly across the whole country to visit Harry and his family in California.”
It comes as sources in both Washington DC and London have allegedly revealed that the plans for the state visit being negotiated include a visit to the White House in late April for a string of historic events, on the condition that Charles’ health allows him to travel.
According to The Sun, Trump’s administration is planning a string of events to mark the 250-year anniversary of the founding of the United States, with the royal visit being a “major moment” in the run-up to the July 4 Independence Day celebrations.
But despite the busy potential schedule, Jennie believes Charles would still be desperate to see his grandchildren. He has only met Lilibet once and Archie just a handful of times.
She added: “I’m sure Charles would love to meet his grandchildren again, and so I suppose it’s conceivable that the Sussexes could take a flight to New York, or wherever the King and Queen are based, for a brief reunion.
“But visits like this are about as official as it can get, and it’s really not a time for patching up severely strained family relationships. A meeting would also inevitably draw the headlines away from the purpose of the visit.
“So I think it’s an extremely long shot that they’ll meet up in the States. Far more likely is that Harry and co will be encouraged to keep a low profile during the trip. “
The rumours of the outbound state visit come just months after the monarch welcomed the US President and First Lady to the UK on a historic visit, with Trump being invited on an unprecedented second visit after being hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2019.
Trump began his state visit in Windsor in September, where he was met by the Prince and Princess of Wales, before being treated to a flypast and an inspection of the guards alongside the King.
The US president was then treated to a state banquet inside Windsor Castle, in which Charles and Trump both delivered speeches. At the banquet, Mr Trump described being welcomed for a second state visit as the “highest honour” of his life.
