Prince Harry is “extremely disappointed” that his father, King Charles, has declined a meeting during his visit to London, despite being only a “stone’s throw away.”
A source tells the Daily Express that one major issue preventing the meeting from proceeding might be Queen Camilla’s presence alongside King Charles at Buckingham Palace on May 8.
“Harry is of course extremely disappointed that he hasn’t been granted a meeting with his father this time,” the source said.
“It’s even harder to wrap your head around when you consider that the pair will be in the same city, at the same time and just a stone’s throw away from each other.”
Sources say that Buckingham Palace and the Sussex camp had been trying to thrash out the logistics for a place and time to meet during Harry’s visit to London – the consensus being that the meeting should take place on the fringes of the Buckingham Palace Garden Party on May 8 – the same day Prince Harry is due to attend the Invictus Games 10th Anniversary Service.“
There hasn’t been a meeting of minds just yet about whether there will be time to meet on the 8th,” a source said earlier today.
“Aides are adamant that if a meeting were to go ahead tomorrow at Buckingham Palace, the Queen will also be present which might prove a bone of contention.”
Harry arrived in Britain alone this morning after flying in from California for the ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games in London tomorrow.
The Duke of Sussex was pictured at Armoury House this afternoon for an Invictus Games discussion called ‘Realising a Global Community’.
“There have been two possibilities for a meeting discussed actually,” the source said earlier today. “
One for this evening at Clarence House and one for tomorrow.
There hasn’t been an agreement made about either meeting just yet, but discussions are still ongoing while Harry is here to see if something can be secured for tomorrow.”
Despite a glimmer of optimism over a last-ditch attempt at a meeting, Prince Harry’s spokesman confirmed today that a clash of diaries was behind the reason the pair were unable to reunite.
They said in a statement: “It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program. The duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
The Daily Express revealed last week that the chances of Queen Camilla attending a meeting with King Charles and his son were slim.
“Let’s just say that the Queen might be otherwise engaged,” a source said at the time.
During his last visit to the UK in early February, Harry reportedly had a swift 45-minute meeting with the King at Clarence House.
The details of that visit remain shrouded in mystery, including whether Queen Camilla was present.
This trip is Harry’s first time back in Britain since that quick visit, which was triggered by King Charles’s cancer diagnosis.
“Harry did the right thing by flying over in February,” the source said.
“But it was very much a last-minute surprise and was somewhat forced upon the household.The optics wouldn’t have been good if a meeting didn’t take place at that time.”
Harry’s stay in London this week will be brief.
His relationship with the Royal Family has been the subject of intense public scrutiny, especially following his move to the United States.
“Harry is really trying to repair the damage that has been caused over the past few years,” the source said.
“It’s proving a very difficult task for him to work his way back in, but he only has himself to blame.”
