A transatlantic dash to see his father, but no plan to meet William
Brief face-to-face meeting will be considered a step in the right direction by both father and son
FEW could deny it had been a long time coming.
As the Duke of Sussex swept through the gates at Clarence House, many also quietly acknowledged it was a shame it had taken a cancer diagnosis to bring him and the King together.
The Duke looked pensive as he gazed from the window of his Range Rover when he arrived at the monarch’s London residence.
Much has been said and angry words spoken in recent years, with deep hurt and betrayal on both sides.
But here he was, having made a mercy dash across the Atlantic to be by his father’s side, to hug him and to let him know that he loved him.
The King and the Duke spent little more than half an hour together behind closed doors yesterday afternoon.
What was spoken between them will perhaps never be known but when His Majesty was pictured leaving the premises just 45 minutes after his son’s arrival, his cheerful glow was unmistakable.
The King waved happily from the state Bentley, sitting beside the Queen, the colour in his cheeks belying the severity of his health woes. It was the first time he had been seen in public since his cancer diagnosis was revealed and he and the Queen smiled broadly as they were driven down The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where the royal helicopter was waiting to fly them to Sandringham.
Five minutes earlier, at 3.30pm, the Duke had been driven out of Clarence House without a police escort. Although his vehicle followed the same path as his father’s – down The Mall and around the Victoria Memorial towards Buckingham Palace – his destination remained unknown.
Did he board the helicopter with his father and stepmother? Or was that 30-minute meeting the extent of the face-to-face time he would enjoy with his father? Both sides remained tightlipped.
The prospect of the Duke sharing a 30-minute helicopter ride in such proximity to his stepmother, whom he has variously described as “dangerous” and a “villain” who left “bodies in the street”, would be extraordinary.
One person the Duke definitely will not see during this brief visit is his brother, from whom he remains very much estranged. A source close to the Prince of Wales confirmed there were “no plans for them to meet”.
The Prince ofg Wales is due to return to public duties today having cleared his diary to care for his wife, the Princess of Wales, as she recovers from abdominal surgery. He will carry out an investiture at Windsor Castle before attending a gala for the London Air Ambulance in the evening.
Although William has remained in regular contact with his father since being told of his cancer diagnosis, they are not thought to have met. With an ill wife, three young children to care for and the prospect of his future role no doubt weighing heavily on his shoulders, he simply has too much to juggle.
For Harry though, more than 5,000 miles away and perhaps with more to prove, more to say, things were different.
The King had called both of his sons personally to inform them of his news. The Duke, who was at home in Montecito, made immediate plans to see him, prompting hopes of a rapprochement after a turbulent few years in which the pair have barely spoken.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, opted to stay in California with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, likely aware that this was an intensely private, family moment.
A few months ago, there was a furore after it emerged that the Duchess wrote to Charles in 2021 accusing him and the Princess of Wales of unconscious bias for comments made about the colour of Archie’s skin.
The Duchess is aware of the circus that will accompany her if she sets foot in the UK and it is no coincidence that every time Harry crossed the Atlantic last year, he did so alone.
This time, though, it was not about duty. As anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis can attest, it sharpens the mind and puts things in perspective.
The Duke flew from Los Angeles to Heathrow overnight, landing at around 12.30pm. He was whisked out of the airport by car and, accompanied by a marked police escort, driven straight to Clarence House.
The presence of the police cars was noteworthy. Did it mean he had been afforded police protection? The Duke has been stripped of his right to automatic police protection when on UK soil and usually travels with his own private security team.
The Home Office decision infuriated him and is the subject of a judicial review. A High Court ruling is pending.
Perhaps though, it was simply an
Harry wants to repair his fractured relationship with his father. The two have barely spoken since Elizabeth II’S funeral
indication that time was of the essence, with his father due to fly to Norfolk within hours.
The Duke had not seen the King since the Coronation when they barely had time to speak. He arrived in London the day before the May 6 ceremony and headed straight to the airport from Westminster Abbey, via a quick vehicle change, having spent just 28 hours in the country. On that occasion, he was determined to kiss his son goodnight on his fourth birthday, which happened to fall on the same day.
The following month, he returned to London to give evidence in his High Court phone hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers and again dashed swiftly back to the US – without seeing his father or his brother.
His most recent visit came in September and it was fraught with the usual tensions. The Duke flew to London for the Wellchild Awards, an annual charity event which this year fell on the eve of the first anniversary of Elizabeth II’S death.
Having established it would be impossible to see his father, owing to the fact he was at Balmoral, the Duke asked if he could stay at Windsor Castle.
The arrangement would have enabled him to easily visit his grandmother’s resting place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, the following day.
However, it was deemed impossible to arrange and he was told he must give notice if he wished to stay on a royal estate. As such, he was forced to stay in a hotel for the night, which, having been stripped of his police protection, added a complicated security element.
Aides have not revealed how long he plans to stay in the UK on this occasion.
However, he is expected to join his wife in Canada next week as they join the One Year to Go festivities for 2025’s Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler. The event launches the oneyear countdown to the Games and will see them participate in a winter training camp, as well as meet team managers, coaches, and competitors.
There is no doubt the Duke wants to repair his fractured relationship with his father. The two have barely spoken since Elizabeth II’S funeral and there was no contact when the Duke celebrated his 39th birthday in September.
However, olive branches have been extended in recent months, with this week’s transatlantic dash considered proof of his desire to mend bridges.
The Duke spoke affectionately about the King in television interviews last year, saying: “Of course, he’s my father. I will always love him.”
In his memoir, Spare, he revealed that his father blamed himself for his son’s struggles, telling him “I should have got you the help you needed years ago”. He says his “Pa” was “never made” for single parenthood but had tried his best.
Last November, the Duke managed to “reach out” to his father to wish him a happy birthday as he turned 75.
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.
The face-to-face meeting yesterday may have been brief, but it will be considered a welcome step in the right direction by both father and son.