Prince Harry is traveling to the United Kingdom for a multi-day visit to attend the WellChild Awards and other patronage engagements, with aides and media reports saying he is "really positive" and "so excited" about the trip. A possible meeting with his father, King Charles III, has not been ruled out but remained unconfirmed.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, will be in London for the awards ceremony and is expected to spend several days meeting with organisations he supports before travelling to Nottingham for a scheduled visit. A person close to Harry told Hello magazine he was "in a really good headspace" and "really looking forward to seeing everyone from his patronages face to face and focusing on the causes." The trip will be his longest to the UK since the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
WellChild, the national charity that supports seriously ill children and their families, said Harry will attend the awards ceremony, which the charity said marks its 20th year. In a statement released by WellChild the duke said he was "always privileged to attend the WellChild Awards and meet the incredible children, families and professionals who inspire us all with their strength and spirit." WellChild's chief executive, Matt James, said the awards recognise "the resilience of these remarkable children and young people and the commitment of those around them."
Harry is scheduled to present an award to a young winner and spend time with recipients and their families at a pre-ceremony reception. Reports also said he will visit a community recording studio in Nottingham to announce a donation to Children in Need.
It is not known whether Harry will meet King Charles during the visit. The monarch has been staying in Balmoral, Scotland, and aides have said Charles will be in London mid-week while receiving cancer treatment. The Mail on Sunday reported that a meeting between father and son was "not off the table," but that any plans would be kept to a small circle of aides. Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Harry's representatives did not immediately confirm any meeting.
The king and the duke last met in February 2024 for a brief private encounter after the monarch disclosed his cancer diagnosis. Harry travelled to the UK in April for a High Court hearing concerning his security arrangements and lost an appeal in May over taxpayer-funded protection while visiting. He told the BBC in May that he could not "see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK" at that time. Media reports for this visit said Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and the couple's children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, would remain in Montecito, California.
Harry and Meghan stepped back from senior royal duties and relocated to the United States in 2020. Harry has continued to retain ties with several British charities, and his attendance at the WellChild Awards will be the 15th time he has participated in the event as its patron.
The visit comes as the king prepares to host a state visit by US President Donald Trump and the first lady later this month. It also follows a series of public and legal disputes over royal security arrangements that have shaped recent exchanges between the duke and the palace.
Representatives for Harry said his focus for the trip is on the charities and families he will meet. The WellChild ceremony falls close to the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death; Harry has previously marked the date privately and has had intermittent contact with senior royals since his move to the United States.
Media organisations reporting on the visit referenced accounts from people close to the duke and statements issued by WellChild. The palace has not issued a schedule detailing any private family meetings during Harry's stay.