Camilla’s Absence From Charles and Harry’s Reunion Revealed More Than You'd Think, Says Expert
Prince Harry's recent UK trip was hailed a ‘success’, as it finally brought a reunion with his estranged father, King Charles, after 19 months. The Duke of Sussex and the King met for private tea at Clarence House on September 10, seemingly burying the hatchet on their long-standing rift. Reflecting on the meetup, royal author Sally Bedell Smith noted how Queen Camilla was not present at the meet, unlike the one in 2024, when Harry flew down to see his father after his cancer diagnosis. But she explained that her absence might actually be a good thing.
Smith told PEOPLE, "The fact that Camilla wasn’t there — when she was before — would show that Harry has signaled something to him that he could be trusted one-on-one." For Charles, building his trust in the Duke would allow him to spend time with his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. A source added, "Harry seems to be doing the right things at the moment to try and mend bridges, and that’s the most important thing for everybody – and for those grandchildren their grandfather has [rarely] met."
Camilla is known to have reportedly also always distanced herself from Charles and Harry’s feud, which may explain her absence from the meeting. In 2024, The Daily Beast alleged that the Queen Consort discouraged the King from meeting Harry. A friend of hers said at the time, "She [Camilla] has been the principal voice urging Charles to slow down and take things easy. The last thing she wants him to do is to get stressed out over a meeting with Harry." However, Charles, as she put it, "wants this settled, not just because he loves both his sons, but because it has been so destabilizing for the monarchy."
Another reason for Camilla's absence from the meeting may be because of Harry’s disdain for her. The Prince has not been kind while describing his stepmother in his memoir, Spare. In it, he accused Camilla of throwing him 'under the bus' to improve her public image. He also claimed she was 'dangerous,' and admitted he once wondered if she was "like all the wicked stepmothers in storybooks." Camilla, meanwhile, has stayed silent on the allegations, taking inspiration from the royal family's motto of 'never complain, never explain.'
As for Charles and Harry’s meeting, a royal source described the moment as 'super positive’ and ‘very emotional.’ They told Us Weekly, "The meeting was sparked by a handwritten letter from Harry earlier this year to Charles expressing his desire to reconnect. They were not sure it was going to happen until just in the last week." They added, "They were catching up personally about the children and what has been going on with Charles and his health... There were hugs and tears at the meeting." Harry later revealed in his Guardian interview that he would love to bring Archie and Lilibet to the UK, a change from his past stance on the matter.