Prince Harry is due in London on Monday to attend the WellChild Awards and said he is "so excited" to return to the UK for a four-day programme of engagements, according to people close to him, while reports say a meeting with King Charles is "not off the table."
A source quoted by Hello Magazine told reporters that the Duke of Sussex, 40, is in a "really good headspace" and looking forward to meeting beneficiaries of his patronages face to face. The visit will include the WellChild Awards ceremony — an event he has regularly attended in his role as patron — and a trip north to Nottingham to visit local projects.
WellChild, the national charity that supports seriously ill children and their families, said the Duke will attend the ceremony, meet winners and families at a pre-ceremony reception, and present an award. The organisation said the awards highlight the courage of young people living with complex health needs and the devotion of the professionals and family members who support them. WellChild's chief executive, Matt James, welcomed the Duke's return for the 20th awards event and said the charity looked forward to recognising the resilience of the winners.
The Mail on Sunday reported that a meeting between Harry and his father, King Charles, could take place while both men are in London mid-week, though no meeting has been confirmed. The newspaper quoted unnamed sources saying only a small number of aides, including the King's private secretary, would know if an invitation were extended. A person close to the Duke was reported to have said that Harry would "make it work" if a meeting were arranged.
King Charles has not seen his son since a 30-minute encounter in February 2024 after the monarch disclosed his cancer diagnosis. Buckingham Palace has not confirmed any plans for a private meeting, and royal officials declined to comment on communications reported by the media.
Harry is travelling from California and is expected to attend the WellChild Awards without his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, who will remain at their home in Montecito. He will spend time at patronage events in London and then travel to Nottingham, where Hello Magazine reported he plans to announce a "substantial" donation to Children In Need during a visit to the Community Recording Studio in St Ann's.
The trip will be the Duke's longest in Britain since the state and family events around the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. His last visit for business in the UK was in April for a High Court hearing connected to changes in his security arrangements. In May he lost a Court of Appeal challenge over taxpayer-funded security during visits to the UK, a legal defeat that has shaped his public comments about bringing his family back to Britain. After the ruling he told the BBC that he could not see a time when he would return with his wife and children, though friends have since told media outlets he still hopes to bring them to see where he grew up.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and relocated to the United States in 2020. Harry has continued to carry out patronage work and charitable engagements linked to WellChild and other causes during his time overseas.
No meeting with the Duke of Wales, Prince William, has been announced. The brothers' relationship has been described as strained in media reporting, but palace officials have not publicly commented on family dynamics in connection with the visit.
The WellChild Awards take place on September 8, the third anniversary of the late Queen's death at Balmoral. The ceremony provides an opportunity for the charity to recognise young people with complex health needs and the networks of support around them. WellChild said the Duke's attendance will include meeting winners and presenting an award to an inspirational child aged four to six.
Buckingham Palace and representatives for the Duke of Sussex did not immediately respond to requests for comment.