Prince Harry has reportedly come away from his private reunion with King Charles feeling optimistic, with a close source claiming the Duke was encouraged by the long-awaited family meeting despite frustrations surrounding the Sussexes’ visit to Britain.
The 41-year-old Duke of Sussex brought his wife, Meghan Markle, 44, and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, to meet with the King and Queen at Highgrove House on Friday afternoon.
The hour-long meeting marked the first time Meghan and the kids had seen Charles and Camilla in four years, while it was only the second occasion that Lilibet had met her paternal grandparents.
According to friends who spoke to The Times after the reunion, Harry was left “buoyed, very happy and really energised”.
“Every journey of a thousand miles begins with one footstep,” the source said.
While the family reunion appears to have exceeded Harry’s expectations, those close to the Duke said the broader visit did not unfold exactly as he had hoped because of unresolved security concerns.
“If extra security had been in place, he wanted his children involved in some public events,” the source claimed.
Harry has repeatedly argued that he and his family should receive taxpayer-funded police protection while visiting the UK after losing the automatic entitlement when he stepped back from royal duties and moved to Montecito, California in 2020.
The issue has remained one of the biggest barriers to bringing Meghan and their children back to Britain.
Speaking to the BBC after losing his legal challenge over the matter in May last year, Harry admitted he felt “let down” by the Royal Family.
His case focused on the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) committee, which determines security arrangements for senior royals on behalf of the Home Office, after it downgraded his protection.
However, the Court of Appeal ruled that although Harry had made “powerful” arguments about the risks facing his family, his “sense of grievance” did not “translate into a legal argument”.
Following the decision, Harry said he “can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious,” he said, adding that the dispute over security had “always been the sticking point”.
The Sussexes’ plans for their UK return changed repeatedly in the lead-up to the trip, with ongoing security concerns being blamed for the series of last-minute changes.
Harry had originally planned to spend time in London with Meghan and the children, but those arrangements were ultimately scrapped.
He also missed out on staying at Buckingham Palace after failing to formally accept the King’s invitation to stay at a royal residence before the palace’s deadline.
Meghan, meanwhile, pulled out of accompanying her husband to engagements in Birmingham, with security concerns again understood to be behind the decision.
According to a source close to the Sussexes, the drama surrounding the visit was “quite stressful”.
Despite the logistical challenges, Buckingham Palace insiders said everyone involved understood rebuilding family ties would take time.
One source told The Times that planning any meeting involving Harry and Meghan remained particularly sensitive because there is “existential mistrust” within royal circles over the couple’s intentions.
The Palace were also said to have carefully considered every possible outcome before the reunion, including concerns Harry could publicly suggest the King supported his legal action against the media.
“Would it create peace in our time or discord and constitutional controversy?” a royal aide said.
“We are always trying to think about what is best not just for a grandfather but for a sovereign and a head of state.”
Even so, those close to the monarch insist he remains open to maintaining a relationship with his estranged younger son.
“He will never shut the door on the possibility of spending time with his family because despite all the trouble, blood is blood,” a friend of the King said.
Harry is expected to return to Britain in September for WellChild commitments, and reports suggest another meeting with the King has not been ruled out.
“Harry’s determined not to let this visit be a one-off, and obviously the King’s diary has to be arranged well in advance, so he’s already started speaking to his father about when they should meet next,” a palace insider told New Idea.
The source claimed Harry is already hoping to return again at Christmas with Meghan and the children.
“Fact is, he always gets very homesick at that time of year; he misses being a part of all their traditions, and he would love Archie and Lilibet to experience a proper royal Christmas and finally meet more of the extended family, whether that’s at Sandringham or wherever Charles decides is best,” the source said.