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Charles and Harry Likely Had ‘Awkward’ Talks About Meghan and William During Sit-down, Says Butler

On September 10, Prince Harry was seen arriving by car at Clarence House for a private tea with his estranged father, King Charles.

Prince Harry landed in London on September 8 to attend the WellChild Awards along with other charitable engagements. After 19 months of not seeing his father, Harry and King Charles finally met on September 10 at Clarence House for roughly an hour. The Prince was seen arriving at the residence by car at 5:20 pm. Following the reunion, Buckingham Palace and the Duke's spokesperson confirmed that Charles and Harry met for private tea. Reflecting on the meetup, former royal butler Grant Harrold suggested that their conversation may have touched on privacy and trust, Harry’s charitable endeavors, and the Duke's feud with Prince William.

As reported by the Royal Insider, Harrold explained, "Before any conversation even began, he [Charles] would have wanted to make sure that their discussion remained private. I think they would have agreed that any future statements about the meeting would be mutually agreed upon." Speaking about he meeting in general, he opined, "I imagine it would have been slightly awkward on both sides. There is only so much talking their advisors can do; at the end of the day, it needs to be father and son sitting down to resolve this."

The former butler further stressed that Charles would have also been curious to catch up with his son on his recent charitable endeavors, given that they last met in February 2024. "He [Charles] would have asked about his charity projects, as he knows how passionate Harry is about his work." Another topic that Harrold unequivocally believed the King might have discussed is Meghan Markle. He continued, "The King will ask questions about how Meghan is and what they’ve been up to…He will also be keen to find out if Harry’s family will return to the UK at any point, as he will be keen to spend time with them."

Last but not least, Harrold shared that the Duke and the King may have touched upon Harry’s long-standing rift with William. He argued that Charles may have approached the topic carefully, not to hurt his son’s feelings. "I think they’ll discuss other family members, and possibly reflect on their memories with the late Queen. I imagine they will also discuss Harry’s relationship with his brother, as the King will be keen for them to reunite." While Harry and Charles appear to be mending fences, the same cannot be said for William, who allegedly is not keen on welcoming his brother back into the royal fold. 

Shortly before their reunion, the Duke hinted at the possibility of meeting his father while greeting fans who were waiting outside Imperial College. Shaking hands and snapping selfies, he excused himself by saying, "I have to go, I’m so late… I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go. Nice to meet you guys." Post the sitdown, he also gave a rare update on Charles’s health during a special reception for the Invictus Games. When a reporter asked how the King was, Harry replied, "Yes, he’s great, thank you."