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Prince Harry’s going to London, England, but a visit with his father, King Charles III, may not happen. Why? Because the 75-year-old monarch may reportedly be too “busy” for a sit down. Ahead, what’s on the agenda for King Charles as his youngest son, the Duke of Sussex, prepares to mark 10 years of the Invictus Games.

Harry may not see ‘quite busy’ King Charles on his Invictus anniversary visit to London 

Harry and the king will be in the same city at the same time come May. Harry’s traveling from his and Meghan Markle’s home in Montecito, California, to England. 

There, he’ll take part in a service at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, marking 10 years of the Invictus Games, the sporting competition for wounded and injured soldiers he launched in 2014. 

Harry’s expected to give a reading at the service, while actor Damian Lewis is slated to recite William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” poem that inspired the games’ name. 

Not on the agenda for Harry’s visit, however, might be time with his dad. The Telegraph reported King Charles may be too “busy” to meet with Harry when he’s in London. Sources told the publication he’ll be “quite busy.” 

Per the outlet, the king has his weekly audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on his calendar, along with any previously scheduled appointments as well as Buckingham Palace’s first garden party of the season. 

King Charles returned to public-facing duties on April 29, 2024, after 11 weeks of cancer treatment. (He and Queen Camilla visited a cancer treatment center.) 

If King Charles does meet up with Harry—it’s still a big if—it will reportedly be brief, perhaps not unlike the short time Harry spent with his father in February 2024 following the king’s cancer diagnosis announcement. 

Harry wants to see his father, no guarantee of a ‘warm reception’

According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, the California-based royal is eager to see his father. “So far as Harry is concerned, yes, undoubtedly I would have thought he would want to see his father,” he told The Sun.

Although there is no guarantee of a “warm reception” awaiting the 39-year-old. “The King has always kept the door open to Harry,” Fitzwilliams said. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean that he would invariably get a warm reception.” 

“It will take its time,” he continued. “But clearly, the situation has changed in recent weeks beyond all expectations. I don’t think it would be too difficult.”

“It depends [on] how you define reconcile,” he added, saying there’s likely a “long way to go before” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. 

Whether or not a visit with King Charles happens for Harry, after his time in London, he’s meeting Meghan in Nigeria. 

Harry may stay with King Charles at Balmoral over the summer 

While King Charles may be too “busy” to see Harry when he’s in London, some father-son face time may happen this summer. 

The king traditionally spends the summer months in Scotland at the royal family’s Balmoral estate. This year, his guests might include Harry, Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet, among other royals. 

According to a previous report, the king may extend an “olive branch” invite to Harry and Meghan to join him. Meanwhile, the couple is believed to be eager to accept a potential invite as they—and King Charles—want Archie and Lilibet to see royal relatives more often. 

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