King Charles (77) and Queen Camilla (78) received Prince Harry (41), Duchess Meghan (44) and their children Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (5) at the private country estate Highgrove House in Gloucestershire on Friday afternoon. For the monarch, it was the first reunion with his youngest grandchildren in four years. However, the public should not learn more than this. Sources from the palace circle tell "The Sun" of a "private family occasion", there will be no photos.
That it happened at all was uncertain until the last moment. Harry has been in his old homeland since the beginning of the week for several charity appointments, including the launch of the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games 2027 in Birmingham. Originally, Meghan and the children were supposed to accompany him, but due to security concerns, this initially didn't happen.
King's offer withdrawn
The Duke of Sussex traveled to London alone on Monday, while his wife stayed with the children at an unknown location in Europe at that time. Meghan also did not appear at her husband's side at the Invictus appointment in Birmingham on Friday morning, even though she had arrived in Great Britain by then. Background of the concerns: Since their withdrawal from royal duties in 2020, the Sussexes no longer have a right to guaranteed police protection in Great Britain. Harry took this to court and lost.
Charles had even offered his son accommodation at Buckingham Palace, including the security measures in place there. However, the offer was withdrawn again. A palace source justified this by saying that Harry had not accepted the invitation in time. The Duke is also said to have found the premises unsuitable before he officially declined.
Last meeting at Platinum Jubilee
Archie and Lilibet were last in Great Britain in June 2022, when their parents traveled to the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. The children did not appear in public at that time. For Charles, the visit was nevertheless a special moment: He saw his granddaughter Lilibet, who was born in California, for the very first time. "It was a fantastic visit. The Prince was delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time", "People" quoted a source from the palace circle at the time.
