The Duke of Sussex reportedly wants to bring Archie and Lilibet to see their grandfather
Prince Harry is said to be eyeing a return to the UK this summer, with hopes of a long-awaited family catch-up with his father, King Charles.
Reports suggest the Duke of Sussex is keen to bring Meghan Markle and their two children across the pond, but any plans hinge on one key detail, an invitation from the king himself to spend some much-needed family time at Sandringham.
It is thought Harry and Meghan’s children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, have not seen their grandfather since June 2022. So could this summer finally mark a reunion?
Harry and Meghan’s UK visits
Prince Harry has made several trips back to the UK since stepping down from royal duties in 2020 and relocating to the US.
Most recently, last September, he reunited with his father for the first time in 18 months during a private tea at Clarence House in London.
Before that, Harry flew in during February 2024 shortly after King Charles publicly shared his cancer diagnosis.
Meghan, meanwhile, has not returned to the UK since attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.
“If he was invited by the king, he would get a package of security that automatically kicks in.”
Speaking to the BBC last May, Harry admitted that bringing Meghan and their children back to Britain remains difficult without proper security arrangements in place.
His remarks followed his unsuccessful appeal over security provisions in the UK. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee previously decided to scale back his automatic taxpayer-funded police protection after he and Meghan stepped back from royal life, moving instead to a case-by-case approach.
It is an issue Harry has continued to challenge. He told the BBC: “I can’t see a world in which I will be bringing my wife and children back to the UK. They’re going to miss everything, I love my country. I miss the UK, I miss parts of the UK.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that a fresh risk assessment into Harry’s UK security was underway, something that could potentially open the door for future visits.
Prince Harry ‘hopes for UK visit’ this summer with King Charles
Now, as he awaits clarity on those security arrangements, new claims suggest Harry is hopeful of a family reunion in Britain in the coming months.
A friend of the duke reportedly told The Times: “If he was invited by the king, he would get a package of security that automatically kicks in. He’d like an invite to Sandringham.
Would he go? It would depend who was there. If the king was to say, ‘Come up and spend some time with the family’, he’d love that.”
They continued: “There is not a world in which he brings the kids back unless there is an enhanced security package around them. If the king wants to see the kids, all he needs to do is invite them over and it can happen.
It is up to the king. Unless Ravec do the right thing independently of the king and decide he requires an enhanced package of security, so he can stay as long as he wants whenever he wants, and see his father with the children.
“There are lots of scenarios to make it work. But it’s all out of Harry’s hands. No father would want to put their kids at any risk.”
More: “NO Hope For Reunion” Palace sources admit Prince Harry & Meghan Markle is now irreparable
The ‘barrier’ Harry faces
Meanwhile, a separate source speaking to the Daily Mail described the ongoing security row as a major sticking point.
They said: “If Harry truly wishes to see his father, he would do well to encourage his supporters to allow such matters to be discussed privately, since low trust and bitter experience in this regard remains one of the principal barriers to progress.”
Representatives for Prince Harry have been contacted for comment.