On February 6, 2024, Prince Harry was pictured arriving at Clarence House to meet King Charles in the wake of the latter's cancer diagnosis. The Duke of Sussex made the 10-hour flight from Los Angeles to the UK to get a mere 30-minute audience with his father. It is the first time that the father and son are meeting in nine months after the King's coronation in May 2023.
Prince Harry was unaccompanied by his wife and children as his convoy showed up at Clarence House at around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Just 45 minutes later, his entourage could be seen leaving the house with their prince.
His brief meeting with the King was the talk of the town due to the estranged relationship between the two. Many of the crown's loyal supporters took to social media to ridicule Harry, saying, "Imagine only getting 30 minutes with a parent."
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle rescinded their royal duties and removed themselves from the royal family on January 8, 2020. The couple, along with their children, Archie and Lilibet, currently live in Montecito, Los Angeles.
Netizens react to Prince Harry's brief meeting with the King
It's no secret that Prince Harry and King Charles are estranged following the former's tell-all memoir Spare, published in January 2023, in which the Duke of Sussex alleged that the King put his interests above Harry's and was jealous of Markle.
But, there seemed to be hopes of reconciliation as news emerged that Harry immediately departed for the UK after hearing about his father's cancer diagnosis. However, the King had only 30 minutes to spare for his second son, as he was spotted leaving for Sandringham barely 45 minutes after Harry visited him, the Mirror reported.
The British monarchy is loved and supported by many, who were outraged at Harry's supposed "betrayal" of the crown. Several followers took to X to voice their opinions of the brief meeting between the father and son on social media.
While some mocked Harry for his brief meeting with his father, others praised him for making the long trip immediately, calling him "a good son" and "Good King Harry."
Prince Harry had no plans of meeting his brother during his trip to the UK
The bad blood between the two brothers is old news. There has been no confirmation that the Duke of Sussex will meet Prince William during his trip to the UK. According to The Sun, the latter, who was at his Windsor home caring for his wife recovering from an abdominal surgery, was nowhere to be seen as Prince Harry arrived at Clarence House.
As per The Mirror, the King delayed his travel to Sandringham by an hour to greet Prince Harry at Clarence House. An insider source reported to The Sun:
“He [King Charles] is very fastidious about time-keeping but it was significant that he delayed the flight to Sandringham when he knew Harry was visiting.”
Following the Prince's exit, a helicopter shuttling the King and Queen departed from Clarence House at 3:46 pm and reached Sandringham at 4:20 pm.
The King is expected to split his time between the countryside and return to London for meetings, business, and outpatient treatment for his cancer.