Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, concluded their six-year stint in North America at the end of August, moving from California back to the UK and settling in the Cotswolds countryside. The US gossip outlet Page Six cited sources reporting that while the couple remains in a “honeymoon phase,” they have not yet met with King Charles III.
Sources indicate that Harry has reportedly spoken with his father several times by phone but has not met him in person. One reason is that King Charles and Queen Camilla have spent recent weeks vacationing in Scotland—including a stay at Balmoral Castle—where they gathered with Harry’s estranged older brother, Prince William, Princess Catherine, and their three children. Although the King and Queen occasionally return to London for meetings, they are scheduled to visit the Caribbean on October 27, making a meeting between Harry and Meghan and the King unlikely in the near future.
However, there remains hope for a reconciliation between father and son. A royal insider stated that everyone wishes for them to build a closer, more private relationship, noting that “the fact that every meeting or phone call gets leaked doesn’t help.”
Another complicating factor is the new book by Harry’s uncle, Charles Spencer, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The book is currently topping bestseller lists, and sources claim Spencer received a £4 million advance. It alleges that after Diana’s death in 1997, Charles harshly remarked during a phone call that she would soon be forgotten by the world—a claim the King’s spokesperson has vehemently denied. Another source noted that the King is furious about the book, particularly given that Harry had traveled with his uncle over the summer, creating the public impression of a good relationship between the two.
Sources added that Harry and Meghan had been considering a return to the UK for several years. The couple decided to leave their Montecito, California, mansion only after the summer holidays—a period during which Harry reunited with his children and the family visited Althorp, Diana’s ancestral home. They plan to stay until at least next summer, allowing their seven-year-old son, Archie, and five-year-old daughter, Lilibet, to complete the school year. During this time, Harry can work on a documentary commemorating the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death and spearhead the Invictus Games, scheduled to be held in Birmingham next year; he also hopes the UK government will finally grant the armed security protection he has long sought. The couple describes this as an “extended stay” and intends to maintain their homes in California and Portugal, continuing to live as an “international family.”
As for Christmas, to avoid headlines about another “Christmas crisis,” the couple does not plan to join the King and Prince William’s family at Sandringham. Instead, they will either remain at the Northamptonshire estate cottage belonging to financier Ian Wace—where they are currently staying—or return to California, accompanied by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland. A palace insider noted that the royal family operates on a hierarchy with the King as the boss, and it is best to avoid putting oneself in an awkward position. Harry and Meghan have not spoken to William and Kate for years; their last meeting was following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.