Prince Harry has had tea with King Charles during their first meeting in 20 months, in what could be the first step towards ending the public rift between father and son.
Harry, Duke of Sussex, last saw his father in February 2024, shortly after it was announced that the king was undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles, 76, had a private tea at Clarence House in London with his son on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Harry, 40, arrived in Britain on Monday for a series of engagements, and earlier on Wednesday he visited a research centre specialising in improving the treatment of victims with blast injuries.
Since Harry and his American wife, Meghan, moved to California in 2020, where they now live with their two children, they have been highly critical of the royal family and the institution itself in interviews, TV documentaries, and Harry's autobiography, "Reserve."
Harry made particularly harsh comments about Charles and his older brother, Crown Prince William, which led to a complete break with the family.
However, after losing a legal battle against the British government over security in May, Harry said he wanted reconciliation.
"Of course some family members will never forgive me for writing the book. Of course they will never forgive me for many things. But you know... I would like to reconcile with my family... There is no point in continuing the fight. Life is precious," he told the BBC.
"I don't know how much longer my father will be alive. He doesn't want to talk to me because of these security issues, but it would be nice to reconcile."
"A lot of suffering"
Both Buckingham Palace and Harry's representatives were very coy ahead of the prince's visit to Britain when it came to whether he would meet the king.
However, Charles's communications chief and Harry's media representatives were photographed in July at a secret meeting in London, which newspapers suggested could be the first step towards reconciliation.
Historian and author Anthony Seldon said that repairing their relationship was important for the monarchy, but also for Charles and Harry as individuals.
"The king is a king, but he is also a human being and a loving father," Seldon told Reuters.
"I think the split has caused a lot of suffering for both of us. If it can be healed, even partially, now or later, that's certainly a positive."
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