Harry's tea with Charles could be small but significant step to reconciliation
On Wednesday, Prince Harry met his father, King Charles, at Clarence House in London for their first face-to-face meeting since February 2024. In recent months, hints of such a meeting had been scattered here and there. A notable change in tone came from the Prince during his BBC interview in May. This was a different Harry in front of the cameras—measured and composed after years of raw, emotional media appearances, the Netflix documentary, and the outspoken criticism of the Royal Family in his memoir Spare.
“I would love to be reunited with my family,” he said.
“There’s no point in going back to fight anymore. Life is precious.”
Harry had made his position clear. He wanted to see his father. But was the King of the same mind?
According to a report in the Mail on Sunday, Harry’s media team met the King’s communications staff in London in July. A photograph of the encounter made its way onto the front page of a national newspaper, fuelling speculation. Both sides denied leaking the image, but the fact remained—it showed that discussions were happening, and channels of contact had been opened. In recent days, however, both camps have remained silent, a silence that spoke volumes. Neither was willing to confirm when, or even if, a reunion would take place. Observers could only make educated guesses based on diary commitments and travel plans. The atmosphere remained tense, shaped by years of mistrust and rancour.
Harry has been in the UK this week for charity engagements, though he has called the United States home since 2020. He had not seen King Charles in person since February. This brief meeting marked the first time father and son had been together since the King’s cancer diagnosis. Both Buckingham Palace and Harry’s team were aligned in stressing that there would be no comment on the content of their discussions. The Palace later confirmed only that father and son had shared a private tea lasting about 50 minutes. Asked by reporters about his father afterwards, Harry replied simply: “Yes, he’s great.”
It all seemed as though little had changed, yet it was hard to imagine Harry leaving the UK without seeing his father. Both sides would have suffered from such a missed opportunity. What comes next, though, is far less certain. A full family reconciliation is still a distant prospect. There have been no signs of Harry meeting Prince William this week, with the brothers keeping entirely separate schedules. Harry departs the UK today, and it is unknown when he will return.
Still, for the first time in more than eighteen months, father and son sat together over a cup of tea. Peace, if it is to come, will be a long and uneven journey—but these were small, significant steps.
