Prince Harry prepares to fly back to London

Duke of Sussex spoke to his father about diagnosis and is making plans to see him, sources confirm

THE DUKE OF SUSSEX will fly from California to London in the coming days to see the King following his cancer diagnosis, The Telegraph understands.

The Duke, 39, spoke to his father about the diagnosis and is making plans to see him imminently, sources confirmed.

The Duke, who was at home in Montecito in the US when he received the news, was hoping to fly as soon as Monday. The Duchess of Sussex will stay at home with the couple’s two children, Prince Archie, four, and two-year-old Princess Lilibet.

The King ensured that his son was told of his cancer diagnosis at the same time as other family members, despite the 5,000 miles between them. He called his younger son on Monday, who immediately began making plans to see him.

Although aides declined to discuss how the Duke had taken the news, his decision to fly home was considered proof that the bond between father and son remains strong. The news was relayed to him in markedly different circumstances to that of his grandmother’s death.

When Elizabeth II died, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in the UK carrying out various charity engagements, but were not included in all family communications.

The Duke was forced to travel to Balmoral alone as other senior royals, including his brother, the Prince of Wales, flew together.

He then found out that his grandmother had died via a news alert, when the palace statement was released before he landed in Aberdeen.

It is unclear where the Duke will stay after he was asked to hand back the keys to Frogmore Cottage, his Windsor home.

The Sussexes are effectively “homeless” when on UK soil and must ask permission from Buckingham Palace to stay on one of the royal estates.

Last time the Duke flew over, in September, he stayed in a hotel. He came to London for the Wellchild Awards, an annual charity event that fell on the eve of the first anniversary of the late Queen’s death.

He was unable to see the King, who was at Balmoral, because of their individual diary commitments but asked if he could instead stay at Windsor Castle, which would have enabled him to easily visit the late Queen’s resting place at St George’s Chapel the following day. On that occasion, permission was denied.

Royal sources stressed at the time that such provision would be made when possible but that the palace must be given suitable warning of any such visit.

The Duke has also been stripped of his right to automatic police protection when in the UK, and usually travels with his own private security team. That decision is the subject of a judicial review, with a High Court judge’s ruling pending.

The Duke and his father have endured a rocky relationship in recent years as the Royal family reeled from a series of private revelations by the Sussexes.

The two had barely spoken since the late Queen’s funeral, and the Duke made only the most fleeting of appearances in London for the Coronation.

There was no contact between father and son when the Duke celebrated his 39th birthday in September.

However, olive branches have been extended in recent months. Last November, the Duke “reached out” to his father to wish him a happy 75th birthday.

He is understood to have sent him a video of his children singing happy birthday to their grandfather, and the Duchess also spoke to the King.