Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Move That ‘Sparked’ Meeting With His Father, King Charles, Amid Royal Family Rift

Following Prince ^[1]Harry^[2]‘s reunion with King Charles^[3], which took place at Clarence House, an insider has revealed the move by the duke that led to their meeting.

The reunion was described as an emotional affair, with the pair said to have shared a long hug upon seeing each other. They also spent nearly an hour talking before Harry left for another engagement.

Following the trip, Prince Harry hinted at making more visits in the coming year and may bring along his children despite his concerns over security arrangements.

After months of speculation, Prince Harry finally met up with his father, King Charles, having last seen him in February 2024, around the time the King’s diagnosis was announced.

While many expected the meeting after Harry publicly declared his wish to reconnect with his father, it appears it wasn’t that statement that sparked the visit,  but rather a private gesture the prince had previously made to his father.

“The meeting was sparked by a handwritten letter from Harry earlier this year to Charles expressing his desire to reconnect,” the insider told US Weekly^[4] about the meeting, which occurred on September 10.

The two had been estranged for years following Harry’s decision to step down as a senior royal, which was further compounded by his bombshell revelations about the family in a documentary, his memoir, and a high-profile television interview.

Despite all of this, the reunion was said to be “super positive and very relaxed,” and was filled with many emotional displays.

“They shared a long hug when they first saw each other,” the insider added. “Harry started crying, and it was very emotional for both of them. They really missed each other.”

The meeting lasted nearly an hour, with discussions covering King Charles’ health as well as Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet, whom he shares with his wife, Meghan Markle.

Interestingly, the reunion didn’t take place at Buckingham Palace but at Clarence House, one of the royal residences.

According to the source, the choice of location was made to provide a “more intimate setting” than the palace could offer.

“They met at Clarence House because it’s the King’s home. And it was chosen because it was an intimate, less formal atmosphere compared to Buckingham Palace,” said the insider. “They wanted an intimate setting to ease back into their personal connection without any pressure.”

After the meeting, Harry attended an Invictus Games event, one of the engagements that brought him across the pond.

He later returned to the US, after making an unannounced stop in Ukraine, which marks his second visit to the country this year.

Until last week, neither side was certain the reunion would happen, according to a source.

The same insider who spoke to Us Weekly revealed that the meeting went ahead because King Charles “felt the timing was right” and believed their “rift needed to be addressed.”

“They needed to come to some sort of resolution, and they both feel the same,” the insider further remarked.

Looking ahead, more visits of this nature may be on the horizon, as Harry hinted during his recent conversation with The Guardian^[5] that “the focus really has to be on my dad” in the coming year.

On some of these trips, the former senior royal could possibly bring along his children despite his earlier complaints about downgraded security arrangements.

“This week has definitely brought that closer,” he said about his plans in the wake of his reunion with his father.

Elsewhere in his conversation with The Guardian, Harry also touched on the necessity of his memoir, which was critically panned by the British media when it was released.

“I know that [speaking out] annoys some people, and it goes against the narrative. The book? It was a series of corrections to stories already out there. One point of view had been put out, and it needed to be corrected,” he told the outlet.

While many believe the memoir was Harry airing his dirty laundry in public, the Duke of Sussex doesn’t see it that way and has no regrets about writing the book.

“It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear,” he said.

And to those who have labeled him stubborn amid his strained bond with the royal family, the prince had a message of his own.

“It’s not stubbornness, it is having principles,” adding that in life, “you cannot have reconciliation before you have truth.”