Prince Harry is understood to be ‘taken by surprise’ by how ‘formal’ his reunion meeting with his father King Charles proved to be.
During a four-day visit to the UK earlier this month, Harry met Charles, 76, at Clarence House face-to-face for the first time in a year and a half.
The 53-minute meeting was seen as a significant but tentative step towards repairing the troubled relationship between Charles and Harry.
However, the pair’s meeting has been revealed to be ‘distinctly formal’ and there is still no plan for Harry to return to the family fold.
It is reported that Harry was surprised by the formalities and even joked that he felt more like an ‘official visitor’ rather than a family member.
Royal insiders have described the exchange as being held in a similar style to that of dignitaries and visitors at royal residences.
The father and son reunion saw Harry give Charles a framed photograph of himself with his wife, Meghan, and the King’s grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet.
Charles has not seen his grandchildren since the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, with Harry claiming it is not safe for them to fly back to the UK.
Prince Harry is understood to be ‘taken by surprise’ by how ‘formal’ his reunion meeting with his father King Charles was
During a four-day visit to the UK earlier this month Prince Harry met King Charles, 76, at Balmoral face-to-face for the first time in a year and a half
Prince Harry at a Diana Award event in London on September 11 during his recent trip to the UK
The King also handed a gift to Harry, giving him a 41st birthday present.
However, there are reportedly no moves for the pair to be seen in public together or for Harry to return for a ‘half-in, half-out’ hybrid royal role.
It is understood that the King is steadfast in upholding the Sandringham Agreement, made in January 2020, which rejected Harry’s bid for a hybrid role.
But the King still remains open for another private meeting next time Harry is in London.
A spokesman for Harry told The Sun: ‘The trip back was about focusing on his patronages and supporting his good causes while also having time to catch up with family and friends.’
Harry and Charles, until this month had not seen each other face-to-face since February 2024, when the Duke made a transatlantic dash to the UK following the King’s cancer diagnosis.
But Prince William and Harry did not see each other during the four-day trip amid an ongoing row between the estranged brothers, which shows no sign of healing.
It has since been suggested that Harry’s meeting with Charles was an attempt to cause a split between the King and William.
A spokesperson for Harry ‘categorically’ denied the claims and insisted that Harry is ‘not trying to drive a wedge’ between William and Charles.
Harry has previously expressed his hopes of reconciliation with his family amid his belief that they may never forgive him after his public accusations.
Harry, who stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020, levelled a barrage of accusations at Kate, William, Charles and his stepmother Queen Camilla in his Oprah Winfrey interview, Netflix documentary, interviews and his autobiography Spare.
Harry previously claimed Charles was jealous of his wife Meghan Markle and the King did not hug him when he told him his mother Princess Diana had died. Harry said he believed the King was ‘never made’ for single parenthood, but ‘to be fair, he tried’.
Charles, according to Harry, pleaded with his sons during a tense meeting after Prince Philip’s funeral: ‘Please, boys. Don’t make my final years a misery.’
The father and son reunion saw Harry give Charles a framed photograph of himself with his wife, Meghan, and the King’s grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet
Moment Prince Harry arrives for 55-minute summit with the King
Relations between William and Harry have long been strained despite their former close bond with the shared trauma of their mother’s death in a car crash when they were 15 and 12.
The fallout is said to have begun before Harry’s wedding to former Suits star Meghan, with the Duke accusing William of being snobbish to his bride.
In the interview with Oprah, Meghan described how Kate made her cry ahead of her wedding – after reports had initially said Meghan had left Kate in tears at Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress fitting.
Another account in Harry’s candid autobiography Spare caused friction between the siblings, when he accused William of physically attacking him and pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan, and teasing him about his panic attacks.
He also alleged it was William and Kate who encouraged him to wear a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party in 2005 and ‘howled’ with laughter when they saw it.
