Royal sources have poured cold water on Prince Harry’s desire for a ‘half-in, half-out’ royal role, following his trip to the UK to conduct charity engagements. During Harry’s trip to the UK, he met with his father, King Charles, for tea at his residence at Clarence House on September 10.
Within a week, there were rumours that “high-level” talks were underway to bring the King and the Duke of Sussex together for a “public show of unity”, but this has since been quashed. As reported in the Telegraph, royal sources have said the King had been “absolutely clear in upholding his late mother’s decision that there [could] be no ‘half-in, half-out’ public role for members of the family”.
The meeting took place 19 months after Prince Harry saw the King at Clarence House in February 2024 after the public announcement of his cancer diagnosis.
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex explained that they intended to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution”. They wanted to “work to become financially independent”, they said, while “continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages” and splitting their time between the US and the UK.
Queen Elizabeth II, foresaw the issues of “half-in, half-out” royalty and refused to make this an option.
Since quitting royal duties in 2020, and moving to the US, where the couple reside in California, Harry and Meghan have both publicly spoken of their time in the Firm via a Netflix docuseries, a televised Oprah Winfrey interview and a bombshell memoir.
The public comments have since strained the relationship between Harry and his older brother, Prince William, who did not meet him during his trip.
After visiting bereaved families in Southport on Tuesday, alongside Princess Kate, William flew to Scotland where he will spend an informal few days with King Charles.
It is the third year they have taken a father-and-son mini-break on the Balmoral Estate towards the end of September.
After Harry’s trip to the UK earlier this month, asked by The Guardian if he wanted to bring Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to the UK, he said: “Yes I would. This week has definitely brought that closer.”
Harry has always implied he will not bring his wife and children to the UK until they had guaranteed protection, following his losing battle with the UK Home Office over his security in the UK.
