By Molly Claire Goddard
12:30pm PST, Jan 13, 2026
_
According to royal expert
Rebecca English, King Charles III decided to see
Prince Harry to prevent him from speaking publicly about their fraught relationship. "Much has been made of their meeting at Clarence House in September, the first between them for 19 months," she wrote for
Daily Mail. "While people are reluctant to comment on the circumstances — knowing how hysterical the Sussexes [Harry and
Meghan Markle] can be about (wrongly) perceived palace briefings and leaks — the impression I get is that the King felt slightly railroaded into it."
_
Despite King Charles III extending the olive branch to
Prince Harry, the rift between them hasn't fully healed. "In truth, he [Charles] knew that if he refused to meet Harry, then this would inevitably have been 'weaponized' against him at some point in the future. Better to meet and then retreat instead," Rebecca English said.
_
Prince Harry and King Charles III reportedly spent less than an hour catching up at Clarence House. The two hadn't seen each other since February 2024, after His Majesty was diagnosed with cancer. Following their meetup, the Duke of Sussex accused Charles' staffers of leaking information to the press.
_
King Charles III is reportedly scheduled to visit Washington, D.C., to see President
Donald Trump in April, but it's unlikely he'll be seeing
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in California. "There will be no detour," royal author
Robert Jobson told
HELLO!.
_
Meghan Markle and
Prince Harry might also be taking more trips across the pond, as the
Spare author's government-funded security has reportedly been reinstated. However, the chance of a family gathering are slim. "This puts Meghan in a rather awkward position, since I really don't think she is eager to return to what she sees as a somewhat hostile environment," royal author
Christopher Andersen told
Us Weekly.
