King Charles hosts Harry, Meghan and grandchildren at Highgrove for first family reunion since 2022

The meeting at Highgrove

King Charles III and Queen Camilla received the Duke and Duchess of Sussex along with their two children on Friday afternoon at Highgrove House, the king's private country residence in Gloucestershire. Buckingham Palace confirmed the meeting took place in the early afternoon and described it as a "private family matter". The palace added that no photographs would be released. It was the first time the king had seen his grandchildren Archie, aged 7, and Lilibet, aged 5, in person for more than four years.

The King and Queen hosted the family at Highgrove House, the monarch's country residence in Gloucestershire.

The last time Archie and Lilibet were in the United Kingdom was June 2022, when their parents travelled to London for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II. The children did not make any public appearances during that visit. For Charles, however, that 2022 visit marked a personal milestone: it was the first time he met his California-born granddaughter Lilibet.

A gradual thaw after years of estrangement

Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California, triggering a rupture with the rest of the royal family. Relations hit a low point when Harry published memoirs that cast an unfavourable light on the family and included allegations that the relationship between the royals and the press was toxic. Prince Harry took particular aim at Queen Camilla, accusing her of leaking private conversations to the media to burnish her own image. Friday's gathering at Highgrove is the most significant face-to-face contact between the two sides since that rift opened.

Harry last met his 77-year-old father in September 2025 for tea at Clarence House in London. The king has since been undergoing treatment for cancer. Harry had stated publicly that he wanted to reconcile with his father and that he wanted his children, now old enough to form lasting memories, to spend time with their grandfather.

A visit shaped by logistics and security

Harry's week in Britain began with a series of engagements without his wife. On Thursday it was announced that Meghan and the two children would join him for the final two days of his visit, attending non-public appointments. The original plan had been for the entire family to travel together, but the arrangements unravelled. Buckingham Palace had offered Harry accommodation in Buckingham Palace, including the security arrangements that come with it. That offer was later withdrawn. A palace source cited by several outlets said Harry had not accepted the invitation in time to allow preparations to be made. The duke was also reported to have found the rooms unsuitable before formally declining. Separately, it emerged that British police were not willing to provide round-the-clock personal protection for the couple, which contributed to the decision to alter the travel plans.

Invictus Games anchor the trip

On Friday morning, before the Highgrove meeting, Prince Harry attended charity events in Birmingham without Meghan. He was cheered at a sports event dedicated to the Invictus Games, the competition for wounded service personnel that he founded and continues to support as patron. Harry took part in exhibition matches in sports including wheelchair rugby and pickleball, a combination of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Speaking on breakfast television, Harry said the aim of the Invictus Games was "to overcome resistance". On Thursday he had also made a charity visit to a children's hospital in Birmingham.

What happens next

No further meetings have been announced, and the palace's framing of the Highgrove gathering as a private family event suggests it will be treated as a one-off rather than the start of a structured reconciliation process. The family's accommodation arrangements during the visit have not been disclosed. The Sussexes are expected to return to California after Harry's UK engagements conclude.