After years of strained relations, it appears King Charles is planning to extend an olive branch to his youngest son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who stepped away from their senior working roles within the royal family and relocated to California in 2020.
Since then, it is believed the King has met his granddaughter, Lilibet, only once, during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and it has also been reported that Prince William and Princess Catherine did not personally inform Harry and Meghan about Catherine’s recent cancer diagnosis.
In recent years, Harry and Meghan have been vocal about their reluctance to return to the UK due to security concerns.
Following their decision to step back as working royals, the Duke lost his automatic entitlement to taxpayer-funded police protection, with UK courts later upholding a system of bespoke, case-by-case security determined by the Home Office – and rejecting his offer to personally fund police protection. Meghan has not visited the UK since the late Queen’s funeral in 2022.
Now, however, reports suggest King Charles may have offered the couple accommodation at Highgrove House, his private Gloucestershire residence, should they be open to a visit.
According to the Daily Mail, a source has claimed that “there’s a good chance that they will stay at a royal residence during a UK stay that includes Invictus events if the current thaw in family relations continues.”
While any security arrangements would still be subject to official assessment, commentators believe that a stay on a private royal estate could provide a more controlled and secure environment for the family.
The Invictus Games are a sporting competition that Harry founded for injured, wounded or unwell military personnel (both current and former).
If the visit goes ahead, it would seemingly go against Prince William and Princess Catherine’s approach to Harry and Meghan, which has been to very much distance themselves from any drama – a sentiment which intensified after the release of Harry’s biography, Spare, which arguably painted William in a less than flattering light.
According to a Daily Beast report, a source close to William and Kate’s inner circle said back in 2024, “Catherine and William have been very clear they want peace and quiet for them and the kids. A visit from Harry, with all the drama that would bring, would be the opposite of that.”
Another friend added, “They have come to terms with the estrangement from Harry, and are content to let sleeping dogs lie.”