The Duke of Sussex visited London earlier this month, but did not reunite with his father. Now, insiders have said Charles agreed to let the Prince stay in one of his royal residences, but was turned down
Prince Harry ‘rejected the King’s invitation to stay at a royal residence’ during his trip to London last month, sources have claimed.
Ahead of the Duke of Sussexes’ visit to London, there was much speculation regarding a potential meeting between the King and Prince Harry, who flew in from California for a ‘Thanksgiving Ceremony’ in St Paul’s to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry later released a statement suggesting King Charles was too busy to see the Duke of Sussex.
But according to The Telegraph, Charles did agree to a request from Harry to stay at an undisclosed royal residence, aware that he no longer has an official UK home. However, the Duke ended up staying at a hotel because the offer did not come with any security provision. The paper continues to suggest that ‘had the invitation been accepted, it may have provided an opportunity to spend some time together outside of their hectic schedules.’
Much was made of the news the King was ‘too busy’ to meet Prince Harry during his visit to London last week. Before an event at the Honourable Artillery Company’s headquarters, the Duke of Sussex’s spokesperson released a statement confirming that it would ‘not be possible’ to organise any meeting between the two.
‘In response to the many inquires and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme,’ the statement read.
Hours after the statement was released, Buckingham Palace announced that the King would be handing the Prince of Wales a military honour long thought to be Harry’s in all but name.
By giving Prince William the ceremonial title of colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps, the King noticeably bypassed his younger son, who toured with the regiment in Afghanistan. The King held the position, as Prince of Wales, for 31 years, and the received wisdom was that he would pass the position to Harry – until, that is, the Duke of Sussex stepped back from royal life in 2020.
Royal insiders noted the timing of the announcement. ‘It’s quite a snub,’ said former BBC Royal correspondent Michael Cole. ‘The Prodigal Son is not welcome – not for the present, anyway. In royal terms, this is big medicine. Prince Harry is bound to see it for what it is, the clearest possible indication of the hurt that has been caused.
‘There can be no mistake: this is a royal flea in the ear for the fifth in line to the throne. Actions have consequences but rarely are they played out as starkly as they are here. The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.’