King Charles and Queen Camilla held a reunion with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, on Friday, July 10. Buckingham Palace confirmed that the meeting took place at Highgrove House, the private country residence of the King and Queen in Gloucestershire, England.
This gathering marks a significant moment for the royal family, as the King had not seen his grandchildren in four years. The relationship between the Sussexes and the extended royal family has been strained over the last six years. Since stepping back from their senior royal roles and moving to California in 2020, Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, have frequently cited serious security concerns. Meghan had not visited the United Kingdom since the funeral of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, and Harry has seen his brother, Prince William, only a limited number of times.
Prior to the reunion, representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex clarified that Meghan would not be attending public events during the trip. This followed an announcement on July 4 regarding the London portion of Harry’s visit, where his team noted that Meghan would not accompany him due to ongoing security issues. Since leaving his role as a working royal, Harry and his family are no longer eligible for taxpayer-funded security.
Following the events in London, Harry traveled north to Birmingham on July 10 to promote the upcoming Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded military personnel and veterans that he founded in 2014. During an interview with British broadcaster ITV, presenter Alison Hammond asked Harry about his family, noting that Meghan and his children must be proud of his work. Harry responded, “They don’t tell me every day that they’re proud of me. But yeah, I’m proud of them. They’re proud of me. I love my family very much.”
USA TODAY has reached out to both Buckingham Palace and representatives for the Duke and Duchess for further comment.
