Prince Harry’s upcoming visit to the UK has stirred speculation about whether he will reconcile with his estranged father, King Charles III. The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to attend the WellChild Awards in London as the charity’s patron on September 30, only weeks after the Royal Family publicly extended birthday wishes to Harry on his 40th birthday—a gesture viewed by many as a potential olive branch from King Charles.
However, reports suggest that the relationship between Harry and his father remains tense, particularly in light of the revelations from Harry’s memoir, Spare, which exposed intimate family details and worsened the existing rift. On the Daily Mail‘s Palace Confidential show, royal editor Rebecca English noted that while Charles remains hurt and angry over the fallout, he is open to reconciliation. She emphasized that despite the distance between them, King Charles is unlikely to ever fully close the door on his son.
A key moment of disappointment for the King reportedly occurred after a phone call last November. Harry and his children had called Charles to wish him a happy 75th birthday, with his grandchildren singing in a video message. However, the event was leaked to the media shortly after, leaving Charles disheartened and frustrated that a private family moment had been made public so quickly. In the Royal Family, where private conversations are rare and tightly guarded, this breach of trust crossed an unspoken line.
Despite the potential for a meeting during Harry’s UK trip, scheduling conflicts may stand in the way. Just days before Harry’s WellChild event, King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to attend the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. According to The Telegraph, Charles is expected to remain in Scotland after the event, leaving little opportunity for father and son to reunite, even though both will be in the UK.
This is not the first time the two have missed an opportunity to meet. Earlier this year, Harry attended the funeral of his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, but did not see his father. And while both were in London on the same day in May for separate events, no meeting took place. Despite previous efforts to repair the relationship, including a meeting when Harry rushed to the UK following news of his father’s cancer diagnosis in February, the distance between them continues to grow.
As public attention remains fixed on the royals, the possibility of a reconciliation seems to hinge not just on timing, but on whether both sides are willing to bridge the deep divide.