Prince Harry concluded a four-day solo visit to the United Kingdom by taking part in a panel discussion on youth-led social action and mental health at an event for the Diana Award in central London, one day after meeting privately with King Charles at Clarence House.
The Duke of Sussex spent about an hour on Monday morning speaking with four young people involved in the Diana Award, listening to their stories and urging action as a route to improved wellbeing. After the event at Salisbury Square he departed for London Heathrow to fly back to the United States to rejoin his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children.
Harry, who met Charles for a private tea at Clarence House on Sunday in their first face-to-face encounter in 19 months, spoke about the link between activism and mental health during a panel chaired by Legacy Award winner Dan Lawes. He told the gathered audience that taking part in peaceful social action gives young people "purpose, confidence and joy," and described agency as "not a luxury for young people, it is a lifeline." He added: "My mother believed in the power and agency of young people to positively impact the world. The Diana Award continues her legacy by putting young people at the heart of everything they do."
Diana Award chief executive Dr. Tessy Ojo said the organisation launched a "decade of youth wellbeing" a year ago in response to rising mental health needs, and noted that "when young people are trusted to lead and take action, their wellbeing rises, their resilience grows, and hope is restored." She cited statistics she said demonstrate the scale of the problem among young people.
The private meeting between Harry and Charles at Clarence House lasted about 54 minutes, Buckingham Palace confirmed. Harry arrived at Clarence House in a black Range Rover at 5:20 p.m. and left at 6:14 p.m., later appearing at an Invictus Games Foundation reception in the City of London. The duke told reporters at that reception that the king was "great, thank you." He was seen leaving the Diana Award event around 11:15 a.m. and was scheduled to travel to the U.S. later that day.
Charles, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, had a series of official duties on Sunday, including closed meetings and a one-to-one investiture at Clarence House, which provided a window for the encounter. Palace officials said the meeting was a private family engagement and did not disclose further details.
The visit marked another public return to the U.K. for Harry since he and his wife stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California. He last saw the king in February 2024, when he traveled to Britain following the announcement of Charles's health condition; that meeting was reported to have lasted slightly more than 30 minutes.
Harry's appearances in London this week included a visit to the Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College and the Invictus reception. At the Invictus event he joked about travel delays across the capital, noting that since he is no longer a working royal he does not have a blue-light police escort.
The duke is not expected to return to London for the funeral of the Duchess of Kent in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday, palace sources said; the service will be attended by the King, Queen and other senior members of the royal family. Senior aides to both households have held talks in recent months, and royal aides were photographed together in London in July in what was reported as an initial step toward opening communication channels between the two households.
Harry has publicly chronicled tensions with senior royals in interviews, a documentary and in his memoir, and remains estranged from his elder brother, the Prince of Wales. William has continued to carry out engagements in Britain this week, including visits tied to mental health and community projects.
At the Diana Award event, the duke listened to young people including Lottie Leach, Elsa Arnold and Idorenyin Hope Akpan, all 23, who described how activism had affected their lives. Harry praised their "empathy and compassion" and encouraged them to "make them hear you because you speak for the majority." He did not discuss the details of his meeting with the king during the panel.
The Diana Award, set up to continue the legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales, recognises young people for social action and humanitarian work. Organisers said the event aimed to highlight the role of youth agency in improving mental health outcomes and to showcase projects led by young people.
After leaving London, Harry returned to California to rejoin his family. Buckingham Palace reiterated that the meeting with the duke was private and gave no further comment. Observers will note whether further official or private contacts are announced between the duke and the wider royal household in the coming weeks.