A Timeline of Prince Harry and King Charles’ Strained Relationship, from Royal Exit to Their Family Reunion

Stephanie PetitFri, July 17, 2026 at 4:45 PM UTC

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King Charles and Prince Harry in September 2022Credit: Jeff J Mitchell - WPA Pool/Getty -

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal life in 2020, Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles, has been marked by both public tensions and private attempts at reconciliation

The father and son have met only a handful of times in recent years, including a milestone reunion that saw Charles spend time with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on July 10

But one issue continues to loom large: Harry’s long-running battle over security for his family in the U.K.

The recent family reunion between Prince Harry and King Charles offered hope for their relationship amid a longstanding rift.

On July 10, the monarch saw his California-based grandchildren — Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 — for the first time since 2022. The reunion at Highgrove House also marked the first time that Meghan Markle had returned to the U.K. and seen her father-in-law in four years.

“One of the strangenesses of the monarchy is that we are all encouraged to forget they’re human beings because they’re representatives of the institution,” royal author Catherine Mayer tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “But at its heart it is just a family— and this family has gone through extraordinary upheavals. Whatever you think of the monarchy, this is a moment most of us wanted to see happen.”

Prince Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, stepped back from their royal roles in 2020 and relocated to the Duchess of Sussex’s home state of California, putting private family grievances into the public eye. In the years since, the couple has spoken out about the challenges of being in the royal spotlight, via a sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, a Netflix series, Harry’s memoir and various interviews.

While there is said to be no contact between Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, Harry has reunited with his father on a few occasions, despite limiting his travel to the U.K. amid security concerns. Read on for more about the divide between father and son, as well as Harry’s hope for reconciliation.

King Charles and Prince Harry in April 2019Credit: Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage

January 2020: Harry and Meghan Step Back, and Tensions Boil Over at the Sandringham Summit

After spending the holidays in Canada, Prince Harry and Meghan announced in January 2020 that they intended to step back as senior working royals. The decision prompted a high-stakes meeting at Sandringham between Queen Elizabeth, then-Prince Charles, Prince William and Harry to determine the couple’s future — a gathering that has since become known as the Sandringham Summit.

The Duke of Sussex recalled in the 2022 Netflix series Harry & Meghan that he and his wife were offered five options, ranging from “all in, no change,” to “all out,” and they chose the middle option. According to him, their choice was rejected, and his family did not seem willing to compromise.

“It became very clear very quickly that that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” he said in the series. “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that simply weren’t true and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”

March 2020: Prince Harry and Meghan Make Their Final Royal Appearance

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their final string of royal engagements in March 2020, ending with joining the royal family at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

“The first time that we saw the other members of the family was in public at Westminster Abbey,” Meghan recalled on Harry & Meghan.

Harry added, “We were nervous seeing the family because all the TV cameras and everybody watching at home and everybody watching in the audience. It’s like living through a soap opera where everybody else views you as entertainment.”

“I felt really distant from the rest of my family, which was interesting because so much of how they operate is about what it looks like, rather than what it feels like,” he continued. “And it looked cold. But it also felt cold.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with the royal family at Commonwealth Day on March 9, 2020Credit: Phil Harris - WPA Pool/Getty

March 2021: Meghan and Harry’s Sit-Down with Oprah Winfrey

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Prince Harry and Meghan settled into their new life in California, purchasing a home in Montecito and preparing to welcome their second child, Princess Lilibet.

That March, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave their bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey, offering their most candid account yet of their decision to step back from royal life.

During the interview, Prince Harry said that his father “stopped taking my calls” after two conversations about their step back from their royal roles. He added that the royal family “literally cut me off financially.”

Despite the strain, Harry made clear that he hoped their relationship could eventually recover. “Of course, I will always love him, but there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened,” he said. “And I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try and heal that relationship.”

April 2021: A Tense Reunion at Prince Philip’s Funeral

Prince Harry returned to the U.K. when his grandfather Prince Philip died. Meghan, who was pregnant with Lilibet at the time, had been “advised by her physician not to travel” for the funeral, a royal spokesman said then.

The funeral, limited to just 30 people due to coronavirus restrictions, was filled with tension, including questions over whether Harry would wear a military uniform after being stripped of his honorary titles (in the end, all members of the family wore suits instead of uniforms). Prince William and Prince Harry also didn’t walk beside each other in the procession, with their cousin Peter Phillips between them.

In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry wrote that the divisions with his father and brother remained unresolved after the service.

“Pa and Willy were still claiming not to know why I’d fled Britain, still claiming not to know anything, and I was getting ready to walk away,” he wrote. “Then one of them brought up the press. They asked about my hacking lawsuit. They still hadn’t asked about Meg, but they were keen to know how my lawsuit was going, because that directly affected them.”

Peter Phillips, Prince William and Prince Harry at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021Credit: Alastair Grant/WPA Pool/Getty

June 2022: The Sussexes attend Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee

Prince Harry and Meghan brought their two children to the U.K. for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years on the throne. During that trip, Charles met his granddaughter Lilibet for the first time.

“It was very special to have some time with him. He hadn’t met Lilibet, his granddaughter, and so to meet her for the first time was very emotional — it was a wonderful thing,” a source said at the time.

September 2022: Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral Brings Another Painful Chapter

Prince Harry and Meghan were already in the U.K. for charity events when Queen Elizabeth’s health rapidly declined in September 2022. After her death on Sept. 8, they extended their stay to attend the late monarch’s funeral and the surrounding period of national mourning.

The Duke of Sussex recalled in Spare that his father was the one to call him to tell him that the Queen’s health had worsened. In a second call, Harry wrote, “He said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn’t want...her. He started to lay out his reason, which was nonsensical and disrespectful, and I wasn’t having it. Don’t ever speak about my wife that way. He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn’t want a lot of people around. No other wives were coming. Kate wasn’t coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn’t. Then that’s all you needed to say.”

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Prince Harry traveled alone to Scotland and, he later wrote in Spare, learned of Queen Elizabeth’s death only after his plane landed, seeing the news on the BBC’s website. When he arrived at Balmoral Castle, he recalled that only his aunt, Princess Anne, was there to greet him. Harry was also permitted to wear his military uniform during the grandchildren’s vigil for the Queen, though he wore a morning suit at the state funeral after losing his honorary military appointments.

Despite the tensions, there were gestures that suggested the door to reconciliation remained open. In his first televised address as monarch, King Charles expressed “my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.” Harry was also allowed to wear his military uniform during the grandchildren’s vigil for the Queen, despite not being allowed to wear the garb for the funeral.

Prince Harry and King Charles in September 2022Credit: LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty

May 2023: Prince Harry Attends King Charles’ Coronation Alone

Prince Harry returned to the U.K. solo to attend his father’s coronation. However, he was not directly involved in the ceremony, sitting with his cousins and other extended family members in the congregation at Westminster Abbey. Meanwhile, Prince William, as heir, had a role in the ceremony and participated in the procession and balcony appearance with his wife and children.

The Duke of Sussex left England hours after the ceremony ended, catching a flight back to California, where Archie was celebrating his birthday on the same day.

Prince Harry at King Charles’ coronation in May 2023Credit: Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty

February 2024: Harry Rushes to the U.K. After Charles’ Cancer Diagnosis

Prince Harry made a quick trip to the U.K. soon after King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis. The father and son had a brief private meeting, and Harry was photographed at London’s Heathrow Airport to depart after spending about 24 hours in his home country.

It’s understood that King Charles personally informed his two sons as well as other family members of his cancer diagnosis before Buckingham Palace made the public announcement.

Summer 2024: Communication Deteriorates

Despite the positive meeting between the father and son following the King’s cancer diagnosis, their communication continued to deteriorate. Those close to Prince Harry said the monarch no longer took his son’s calls or responded to his letters.

“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ “ a friend of Harry’s told PEOPLE at this time. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”

At the core of the rift was security. Prince Harry and his family lost their police protection after stepping back from their royal roles, and he’s fought to have it reinstated, saying he doesn’t feel safe bringing his family back to the U.K.

“Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father,” a royal insider told PEOPLE. Another source close to the situation says, “Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs.”

May 2025: Harry Shares Hope for “Reconciliation”

After Prince Harry lost a legal appeal regarding his security in the U.K., he spoke with BBC News and expressed hope for making peace with his family.

“I would love reconciliation with my family,” he said. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.”

“Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has,” he continued, referencing King Charles’ cancer diagnosis. “He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”

Still, Prince Harry maintained that his security issues “could be resolved” through King Charles.

“There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands,” he said. “Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts to do what is necessary.”

However, the palace has consistently denied that the King has the power to have Harry’s security reinstated.

September 2025: A Reunion Signals “a Massive Step”

While Prince Harry was in the U.K. for charity events, he had a brief reunion with his father at Clarence House in London. Following the 55-minute meeting, which marked their first in-person reunion in 19 months, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the King had a private tea with his younger son and said no further details would be shared.

“It’s a massive step in the right direction,” Queen Elizabeth’s former spokeswoman Ailsa Anderson told PEOPLE at the time. “It’s a building of trust.”

Prince Harry in the U.K. on July 7, 2026Credit: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty

July 2026: Family Reunion

Prince Harry’s team announced that he would return to the U.K. in July 2026 for a series of charity events, including the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, England. In a big move, Meghan and their two children planned to join him. However, in an uncomfortable about-face, Harry announced on July 4 that he would travel to London alone after learning that he and his family would not receive police protection throughout the visit.

The uncertainty then further spilled into public view when Harry’s team and Buckingham Palace offered sharply different accounts of accommodation arrangements. After initially declining the offer to stay at a royal residence, Harry later sought to accept it, but palace officials maintained the deadline had passed. Behind the scenes, the drama surrounding the visit was “quite stressful,” says a source close to Harry and Meghan.

“What was billed as a big homecoming — not only for Harry but potentially for Meghan too — turned into a nightmare,” said royal author Russell Myers. “It was further evidence of the fractiousness of Harry’s relationship with the institution.”

Despite the chaos, Buckingham Palace announced on July 10 that King Charles and Prince Harry had reunited at Highgrove House. The private meeting included Queen Camilla, Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — reuniting King Charles with his California-based grandchildren for the first time in four years.

“The relationship is better,” a close tells PEOPLE.

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