Prince Harry was urged to keep his discussions with the King private and rebuild his trust after the pair met for the first time in 19 months during his four-day visit to the UK this week. The Duke of Sussex landed in Britain on Monday and attended a series of engagements linked to his charities and patronages until Thursday.
On Wednesday, Harry was seen arriving at Clarence House, King Charles’s private home in London, shortly after the monarch left Scotland for the capital. The two had a private tea that lasted a little less than an hour.
Asked how his father was by a reporter shortly after arriving at the Invictus reception, Harry replied: “Yes, he’s great, thank you.”
Many saw the royal reunion as a first step towards reconciliation between the two sides in the future. Now, a royal commentator has given their insights on how the prince should move forward.
Emily Nash, Hello! magazine’s royal editor, said the meeting was “very much what Harry has been longing for” and described it as a chance to “begin to rebuild what has been a very fractured relationship in recent years”.
But she stressed that for any kind of reconciliation to take place, it’s “vital” for the Duke to rebuild the trust between him and his father.
She said: “For a rapprochement to work, it’s vital for the King to know that he can trust his youngest son to keep their discussions private. The very public airing of private family matters in TV interviews and the pages of his memoir Spare left Harry cut adrift from most of his royal relatives, and his brother the Prince of Wales in particular.”
Ms Nash added: “Let’s hope this marks a fresh start for the King and his son. As Harry himself said earlier this year, ‘There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious.'”
The Duke of Sussex’s spokesperson suggested the UK visit had gone well: “He’s obviously loved being back in the UK, catching up with old friends, colleagues and just generally being able to support the incredible work of the causes that mean so much to him.”
Harry visited the Diana Award in central London on Thursday morning for a final engagement, where he appeared upbeat throughout the engagement but also struck a philosophical tone when he addressed the young people in the room.
He gave a short impromptu speech, from his seat, to the panel, saying: “Thank you all for being here. I don’t know how you were as individuals, all of you… five, ten years ago pre-Diana Award, but to see you sitting up here now with the confidence you have, speaking to a complete group of strangers is proof of the fact this whole thing works.”
The Duke’s last engagement remained a solo one. The Diana Award is notably still supported by both Harry and William in memory of their mother.
There was no discussion of the royal rift at the event as the prince sought to turn the focus onto hope for the next generation.
He is now set to head back to the airport to fly home to California to be with his wife the Duchess of Sussex and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.