Prince Harry is due in London on Monday for the WellChild Awards, beginning a four-day return to the United Kingdom that sources say will concentrate on his patronages and charity work — and could include a private meeting with King Charles III, although no meeting has been confirmed.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, flew from his home in California for the awards ceremony on Sept. 8 and a programme of engagements that will also take him to Nottingham. A person speaking to Hello magazine said the duke was "so excited to come back to the UK" and described him as being "in a really good headspace" ahead of the visit. WellChild, which supports children with complex health needs, said the duke would attend the ceremony for the 15th time and meet winners and their families at a pre-ceremony reception.
WellChild released a statement from the duke in which he said he was "privileged" to attend the awards and to meet young people and professionals who support them. The awards fall on the third anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Reports in U.K. media on Sunday said a meeting between Harry and his father, King Charles, "is not off the table." The Mail on Sunday reported that any such arrangement would be discussed only among a small number of people, naming the king's private secretary as among those who would know. The palace has not announced a meeting. King Charles is due to be in Scotland at Balmoral and is expected to be in London mid-week for treatment related to cancer, according to published reports.
The king and the duke last met in February 2024 for a brief encounter after Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis. A private meeting in London, if it were to take place, would be the first in more than a year and a half.
Harry will not be accompanied on this trip by his wife, Meghan, or their children, who will remain at the family's home in Montecito, California, sources said. The duke's visit will include a stop in Nottingham where he is reported to announce a donation to Children in Need and to visit a community recording studio.
The visit comes after a contentious period over security arrangements for the duke while in the U.K. In May, he lost an appeal against the government over the provision of taxpayer-funded security during visits, and he later said in an interview that he could not see a time soon when he would return to Britain with his family. Friends quoted by The Times have since said Harry wants to show his children where he grew up and has not given up hope of bringing them to the U.K. in the future.
Harry and his wife stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and moved to California. Since then, his visits to the U.K. have been infrequent. His longest stay back in Britain since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022 will be this coming week, by media accounts.
WellChild chief executive Matt James said the awards provide an opportunity to recognise young people with serious health needs and the professionals and families who support them. The charity's annual ceremony highlights home-based nursing, family support programmes and other services that enable children with complex conditions to live in their communities.
No official palace schedule has been released for the duke's engagements beyond the WellChild event and the Nottingham visit. Buckingham Palace and the duke's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether any private meetings with the monarch or other senior royals were planned.
The visit arrives ahead of a state visit to Britain later this month by U.S. President Donald Trump, which is due to be hosted by the king on Sept. 17.