Prince Harry Avoided Causing a Problem for King Charles With Short U.K. Visit
Prince Harry’s return to the U.K. to see King Charles III in the wake of the monarch’s cancer diagnosis could’ve very nearly caused a problem. According to a royal commentator, the Duke of Sussex risked igniting “worry” among the public with his visit.
Harry saw his father after arriving in England on Feb. 6
It seems Harry, 39, didn’t waste any time after Buckingham Palace announced King Charles’s cancer diagnosis on Feb. 5, 2024. In the hours following the palace’s statement, he left Montecito, California, where he and Meghan Markle live with their two children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, and boarded a flight for London, England.
Harry reportedly touched down in London the following afternoon, on Feb. 6, 2024, where he went directly from Heathrow Airport to see King Charles.
Cameras spotted Harry arriving at Clarence House, the king and Queen Camilla’s longtime London residence, shortly before 3 p.m. local time. He left approximately an hour later after spending what’s believed to have been 45 minutes with his father.
As for what happened later in the day, Harry’s reported to have spent the night in a “luxury hotel” because he doesn’t have a U.K. home. He and Meghan’s former U.K. residence, Frogmore Cottage, hasn’t been theirs since the summer of 2023, when the last of their belongings were removed.
On Feb. 7, 2024, Harry headed back to Heathrow Airport, meaning he spent less than 24 hours in the U.K. before boarding a return flight (via Express).
A ‘long’ visit would’ve made people ‘start to worry about the seriousness’ of the king’s cancer
According to royal expert Pauline Maclaran, chances weren’t high Harry would hang around in the U.K. for very long. The reason, she shared with Express US, was two-fold.
“Firstly, Harry will want to get back to his family,” she told the outlet after Harry’s arrival. “But also, were he to make this a longer visit, people would start to worry about the seriousness of King Charles’s diagnosis.”
So, the longer the visit, the more serious the king’s condition would appear. That’s something the palace wouldn’t want. Especially after announcing the 75-year-old would continue with his “usual” work, i.e., government paperwork, apart from public appearances during treatment.
Prince Harry’s short visit to see King Charles suggests it wasn’t ‘successful’
Spending less than 24 hours in the U.K. wasn’t encouraging amid speculation the father and son may soon reconcile.
“That tells me this was not a successful visit in terms of being able to spend more time with his father,” royal expert Marlene Koenig said.
Additionally, the Duke of Sussex has a big event on his calendar coming up soon. He and the Duchess of Sussex are expected in Canada to mark the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025.
“One Year to Go” events are scheduled throughout the week of Feb. 12-16, 2024, in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
