Prince Harry could finally be set for a long-awaited reunion with King Charles this summer when he visits the UK for an Invictus Games event – but only if certain rules are followed. Relations between the younger royal brother and the Royal Family have remained deeply strained since he and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and later launched a series of damaging public attacks, including the couple’s Oprah Winfrey interview and Harry’s explosive memoir Spare.
But royal author Ingrid Seward tells the Mirror the King could still extend an invitation to Harry, Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, aged seven and four, if Harry is willing to agree to and follow certain rules.
“The only place that really I think they could meet if the King is to get to know or at least see his grandchildren, is at Balmoral,” Ingrid tells us. It’s the only time the King has time and the Sussexes could be accommodated there because there’s lots of cottages on the Estate.”
View 4 ImagesThe Balmoral Estate could be the perfect setting for a family reunion(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The sprawling Aberdeenshire estate in Scotland has long served as the Royal Family’s private retreat, offering a level of security and privacy required for the monarch and their family – and Ingrid says this makes it the ideal setting for any potential meet-up.
“Harry and Meghan don’t have to stay in the castle, although of course they would expect to, but that’s fine,” she says. “They would make sure, obviously, that William and Kate weren’t there at the same time. So it’s not that difficult, and it can be done fairly under the radar.”
Harry last visited Balmoral in September 2022 following the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, but Meghan did not accompany him. He was the last of the royal family to arrive in Scotland after being unable to travel on the same private jet as his brother, Prince William.
View 4 ImagesThe King and Prince Harry celebrated together at the Invictus Opening Ceremony in London in 2014(Image: Getty Images)
Since then, there has been few signs of any meaningful thaw in relations between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family beyond a short face-to-face meeting between Harry and Charles at Clarence House last summer.
Tensions have been particularly severe between Harry and Prince William, with the brothers believed to remain barely on speaking terms after a string of public allegations and accusations.
According to Ingrid, any Balmoral reunion would therefore require meticulous planning behind the scenes to avoid any clashes. “I think the King would pick very carefully who was going to be there at the same time, and it certainly wouldn’t be William and Kate,” she says. “If it were, I’d be absolutely astounded.”
Still, Ingrid believes Charles could ultimately welcome Harry back if approached directly by his youngest son. “Charles would get to say, ‘Darling boy, of course come to Balmoral’, and then because he’s the King, he could let his aides deal with everything else,” she says.
View 4 ImagesThe couple are hosting the garden party on behalf of the King (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
“They’d probably have to make them sign confidentiality agreements and all kinds of stuff – but Charles doesn’t have to do it, he can sit there looking like the good guy. He has a private secretary and other staff to deal with all of the details. They’d have them buttoned up as much as you can button them up.”
Security has also remained a major sticking point for Harry since leaving royal duties, with the Duke currently involved in ongoing disputes over his state-funded security levels while in the UK. He previously said he did not feel it was safe to bring his family over to the UK from their home in Montecito, California.
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But Ingrid says those concerns would disappear entirely if the Sussexes stayed on royal grounds. “There wouldn’t be all the drama surrounding security either because if Harry and his family are staying in a royal residence they’ll get full security,” she says.