Prince Harry arrived in the United Kingdom alone on May 7th after flying from California to attend the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Invictus Games, a sports event for wounded veterans and international servicemen with disabilities, held in London on May 8th.
Prior to the event, the Duke of Sussex visited Armory House to participate in a discussion on the Invictus Games theme “Global Community Realization,” organized by journalist Louise Minchin.
Prince Harry hoped to reconnect with his father following a brief visit in February 2024 when King Charles was diagnosed with cancer. Harry’s attendance on May 7th was just 4.8 km away from Clarence House, where King Charles resides.
However, a spokesperson for Harry stated, “There have been a lot of questions and speculation about whether the Duke of Sussex will see his father while in the UK this week. Unfortunately, due to His Royal Highness’s busy schedule, this wasn’t possible.”
Reacting to this, royal expert Richard Palmer said, “It would be surprising if Prince Charles and Harry didn’t meet. It shows that building bridges is still necessary.”
Prince Harry is not expected to meet his elder brother Prince William and sister-in-law Kate Middleton, who is undergoing cancer treatment diagnosed in March 2024.
On the morning of May 7th, King Charles was driven from Windsor Castle to Clarence House. Later, the King held an audience at Buckingham Palace with Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
Sources told Page Six that Prince Harry invited William and other senior members of the royal family to attend the Invictus Games ceremony, but none of them participated. Prince Harry stayed at a London hotel as he no longer resides at Frogmore Cottage, a royal property.
Meanwhile, King Charles hosted a meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on May 8th.
Despite being hurt by his son’s recent actions, King Charles has always affirmed that he will “leave the door open for his son, at least to express his views.”
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have privately reached out to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge after Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis was announced. Both couples issued a statement: “We wish Kate and her family health and healing.”