Prince William made a quiet trip to Scotland to spend time with King Charles, just two weeks after the monarch’s first meeting with Prince Harry in 19 months.
The Prince of Wales, 43, flew to Scotland on Sept. 23 to privately spend time with his father, according to multiple reports.
The Prince of Wales, 43, flew to Balmoral on Sept. 23 for a private stay with his father, multiple outlets report. Since King Charles’ accession in 2022, father and son have established something of a tradition in taking “mini-breaks” together in Scotland, with this visit expected to last a few days.
Charles typically stays at Birkhall, his secluded residence on the Balmoral estate that he inherited from his grandmother, the Queen Mother, in 2002. While the King also spends time at Balmoral Castle, Birkhall serves as his more personal Scottish retreat.
The Daily Mail published photos on Thursday of William stepping off a private jet at Aberdeen Airport with a duffel bag in hand, still wearing the same suit he sported earlier that day while carrying out an engagement in Southport with wife Kate Middleton.
King Charles and Prince William attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent’s Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on Sept. 16, 2025.
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The trip is separate from the royal family’s usual late summer gathering at Balmoral Castle, which is a multi-generation vacation for the wider family and a tradition King Charles has continued from Queen Elizabeth‘s reign.
Prince William and Princess Kate paid an emotional visit to Southport on Sept. 23, visiting the bereaved community grieving after three young girls were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024.
It was the couple’s first joint outing following President Donald Trump‘s state visit to the U.K. on Sept. 17 and 18, in which they played a major role in helping to host, as they have for past diplomatic trips since becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Kate Middleton, Prince William, President Donald Trump and King Charles in Windsor on Sept. 17, 2025.
AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty
The previous week, King Charles, 76, met with Prince Harry, 40, during the Duke of Sussex’s trip to the U.K. for a series of charitable engagements.
The Sept. 10 summit was a landmark meeting for the father and son as their first in-person meeting in 19 months. Harry spent about 55 minutes at Clarence House, his father’s London home, before departing.
Buckingham Palace later confirmed that the King had a private tea at Clarence House with the Duke of Sussex and said no additional details would be shared.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry echoed the same, reiterating that father and son met for tea and that there would be no further comment.
(Left) King Charles arrives at Clarence House in London on Sept. 10, 2025; (Right) Prince Harry leaves Clarence House on Sept. 10, 2025.
Belinda Jiao/Getty; Julian Simmonds/Shutterstock
The reunion hinted at reconciliation amid a deep rift within the royal family that became public when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal roles in the U.K. in 2020 and moved to California.
Harry has expressed a wish to make moves towards rapprochement, telling BBC News in May that he would love a “reconciliation” and revealing to The Guardian that his latest England trip brought him “closer” to bringing his kids, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, back to his home country.
“Yes I would. This week has definitely brought that closer,” Harry told the outlet when questioned whether he’d like to bring his kids back one day, despite the contention over his current security arrangements.
Whether or not things are warming between the father and son, strain remains between Harry and William, whose broken bond shows no signs of healing.
Prince William, Prince Harry and Peter Phillips walk behind King Charles during Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral on Sept. 19, 2022.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
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“The rift is very profound and very long-lasting. It will not be changed, in my opinion, until Harry makes a move and apologizes,” Robert Lacey, author of Battle of Brothers, recently told PEOPLE.
Added historian Amanda Foreman, “Everyone wants it to happen on their terms, but that’s what makes it impossible.”