Prince Harry returned to the UK earlier this year and sources claimed he reached out to his father King Charles to request if the monarch would meet with him during his trip as an olive branch.
Harry attended a special service at St. Paul’s Cathedral to celebrate 10 years of the Invictus Games, a groundbreaking sports competition for ex-servicepeople that the Duke of Sussex founded back in 2014.
Reports claimed the Duke has reached out to his father and asked him to meet whilst he was in the country. The last time Harry met with Charles was shortly after the monarch had been diagnosed with cancer and had begun regular treatment.
Due to the last-minute nature of the visit, Charles was only able to see his younger son in London for less than an hour before he headed back to Sandringham to rest.
Sources claimed that when Prince Harry contacted his father and asked for a meeting before the Invictus Game service, King Charles had a simple four-word response to the request, that he would definitely do so ‘if he is able’.
“Harry has kept in regular contact with his father on several occasions and made no secret of his desire to see him when he can,” a source has said. However, in the three days Harry spent in the UK for the service he was unable to meet with his father.
He didn’t see any other members of the royal family – including King Charles – with a spokesperson for Harry explaining this was down to the monarch’s busy schedule.But Harry’s account was thrown into question as insiders say Charles agreed to a request from his younger son to stay at a royal residence, aware that he no longer has an official UK home – something that might have provided an opportunity for them to meet outside their busy programmes.
However, according to the Telegraph, Harry turned down the offer because it did not come with any security provision, and he would be staying in a “visible location with public entrance and exit points and no police protection”. Instead, as he has done on all his recent visits, Harry reportedly chose to stay in a hotel so “he could come and go unseen”.
It’s not known which residence Harry was offered, but St James’ Palace is certainly a strong possibility. It is home to Princess Beatrice, and Princess Anne also has rooms there. Moreover it is situated directly adjacent to Clarence House where the King stays when in London, meaning father and son could meet in privacy with armed guards protecting the premises. All royal residences have armed guards at entry and exit points and boast the most sophisticated security systems in the country. But Harry’s primary concern is the level of security he is afforded outside.
All royal residences have armed guards at entry and exit points and boast the most sophisticated security systems in the country. But Harry’s primary concern is the level of security he is afforded outside.
