After nearly two years of separation and constant tension, Prince Harry reunited with his father, King Charles III, 76, in a private meeting that may mark the start of a thaw in their strained relationship. The Duke of Sussex, 40, flew in for a short UK trip full of charity engagements and paid his respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and on September 10, he shared a brief but meaningful tea with the king at Clarence House in London.

This face-to-face encounter was their first such meeting since early 2024, when the king’s cancer diagnosis and disputes over security deepened their divide. With public hopes rising, many wonder: Is a royal reconciliation finally on the horizon?


When Prince Harry met King Charles: A royal reconnection begins?

Prince Harry returned to the UK this week, arriving September 8 for a series of engagements including charity events, tributes to Queen Elizabeth II on the third anniversary of her death, and multiple public appearances. Although the charitable endeavors were the main reason for Harry’s trip to the UK, throughout that trip, speculation mounted over whether he would finally reunite with his father, King Charles III, in person.

And that did happen.


On the afternoon of September 10, Prince Harry stepped through the gates of Clarence House in London and made his way inside for what Buckingham Palace quietly confirmed as a private tea with his father, King Charles III – the first time in about 19 months that they held a face-to-face meeting.

The King, who has been undergoing treatment for an unspecified cancer, had flown in from Balmoral to London and carved out time in his busy schedule to host the meeting. Harry arrived at Clarence House in the early evening and left less than an hour later, shortly before attending an Invictus Games reception.

It was not a public spectacle, but the significance was unmistakable: this was the father-son reunion the world had eagerly awaited since their last meeting in February 2024.


What happened and what followed

While the visit lasted less than an hour, the impact rippled across the royal world.

The meeting comes after a period of public friction. Since stepping back as a senior working royal in 2020 and moving to California with his family (Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet), Harry has shared sharp criticism of the royal household. Public revelations – from the Oprah interview and his memoir Spare to his Netflix docuseries – strained his relations with Charles and other royals, especially Prince William. The gap since February 2024, when Harry flew to London after learning of his father’s cancer diagnosis, had allowed bitterness and distance to grow. The rift widened further over Harry’s legal battle to restore taxpayer-funded security when visiting the UK, a confrontation he publicly criticized the royal household over. However, after the legal battle over his security protection concluded in spring 2025, Harry publicly said he would like to reconcile, that continuing to fight did not feel right, especially given his father's illness.

This recent tea, which comes after that comment, suggests there may be a willingness on both sides to reopen communication.

In July this year, aides for Harry and Charles were spotted meeting in London – what insiders described as a “secret peace summit” on London’s balcony – a small but meaningful step, signalling attempts at diplomacy. For many, that quietly paved the way to this long-anticipated reunion.


A royal reconciliation on the cards?

When the last meeting between the father and the son ended, Harry headed to an Invictus Games reception, where reporters asked how his father was. Harry’s response was warm yet cautious: “Yes, he’s great, thank you.” While it wasn’t a headline-grabbing declaration of healed wounds, it was not nothing. Even a small gesture of compassion can signal progress after a long estrangement.


However, despite an emerging possibility of reconciliation between the estranged father-son duo, key questions remain unanswered. There’s no sign that Harry’s relationship with his brother William is improving; if anything, that rift appears as deep as ever. Nor were any apologies, admissions, or reconciliatory pronouncements made public. Charles, while evidently willing to receive his son, which speaks for his attempt at reconnection, remains measured. Trust, once broken, can’t be repaired overnight.

However, any lasting reconciliation will depend heavily on maintaining privacy, restraining public criticism, and possibly offering assurances that past grievances, especially around security and media disclosures, are not repeated.

Nonetheless, as royal observers see it, this meeting may well be a turning point.


What’s next?

So what comes next? A definite answer to that question remains amiss.

Harry has no confirmed meeting with his brother, Prince William, during this trip. The rift there seems deeper, more complicated, and less likely to be resolved quickly.

Meanwhile, if this meeting between a father and a son is more than a one-off, we might expect more private visits, improved communication lines, and careful media handling. But for reconciliation to develop into something more sound than just a symbolic moment, several practical matters may need attention: clear and workable security arrangements for Harry and his family in the UK; agreements about what can be shared in public – from litigation, memoirs, to interviews; and patience from both sides, plus some humility.

However, it’s undeniable that there might be a probable change of tone in public statements – less confrontation, more quiet support. Because if the tea has anything, it’s this: it’s made it clear that Charles and Harry are walking a delicate path. Sure, rebuilding trust will take continuing openness and discretion, and a willingness on both sides to acknowledge and forgive past wounds, but at least the tea might signal a fresh start.