Prince Harry said he is increasingly open to bringing his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to the United Kingdom after a recent reunion with his father, King Charles III.
Speaking to The Guardian after a trip to Britain last week, the Duke of Sussex said he “would” like to spend more time in his native England and to bring his children with him. Harry, who lives in California with his wife Meghan Markle and their children — Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4 — added, “This week has definitely brought that closer.”
The visit included a private meeting with Charles at Clarence House, a trip to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s gravesite and appearances at events tied to Harry’s charities. U.S. and U.K. outlets reported the father and son had a “private tea” lasting just under an hour during which Harry showed the king photos and videos of Archie and Lilibet. Us Weekly reported there were “hugs and tears” at the meeting, and Page Six said the reunion followed a handwritten letter Harry reportedly sent earlier this year expressing a desire to reconnect.
Harry told reporters after the meeting that the king, who announced a cancer diagnosis in February 2024, is doing “great.” The reunion was the first in person between the two since that public announcement and came after more than a year and a half of limited contact.
The trip marked a notable shift from comments Harry made earlier this year. In May, after losing an appeal over the removal of his publicly funded security, he told BBC News he could not “see a world in which [he] would be bringing [his] wife and children back to the U.K. at this point.” At that time he said he missed parts of Britain and lamented that he could not show his children his homeland.
Harry stepped back from royal duties and moved to the United States with Meghan in 2020. The couple’s decision and later public disclosures have strained relations with some senior royals. In January 2023 Harry published his memoir, Spare, in which he made several personal allegations and said his “conscience is clear.” Those revelations, along with other disputes, have been cited by royal sources as factors that have complicated reconciliation.
Representatives for the royal household and Harry declined to outline any plans for future family visits. The duke’s comments to The Guardian signal a possible loosening of public reluctance about bringing his children to Britain, but no dates or arrangements have been announced.