Royal rift under spotlight: Prince Harry back in UK; will he meet his father King Charles?

Prince Harry will return to Britain this week, raising fresh speculation that he could reunite with his father, King Charles III, for the first time in nearly 20 months, a move that could mark tentative steps toward mending one of the royal family's most public rifts.Harry, 40, is scheduled to attend the WellChild Awards on Monday, an annual charity event for seriously ill children that he has long supported. The date coincides with the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death, adding poignancy to his visit.While no meeting between father and son has been confirmed, royal commentators believe the timing could provide an opportunity for reconciliation."There is talk, growing talk, that he might well meet up with his father," Reuters quoted Simon Perry, People magazine's royal correspondent in London. "Any time Prince Harry is relatively close to his father and they're in the same country, there's going to be speculation."Buckingham Palace declined to comment, citing its policy of not discussing private family matters. A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex also refused to confirm or deny whether a meeting was planned.Harry has been estranged from not only King Charles but also much of the royal family since he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California.In the years since, Harry has been outspoken in his criticism of the monarchy. Through interviews, the couple's Netflix series, and his explosive memoir Spare, he delivered particularly sharp rebukes of both his father and elder brother, Prince William.The Duke last saw his father in February 2024, when Buckingham Palace announced that Charles was undergoing cancer treatment. Their meeting was brief, and relations have remained frosty.In May, following a failed legal challenge against the British government over his security arrangements, Harry gave an emotional interview to the BBC in which he spoke candidly about the fractured ties."Of course some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course they will never forgive me for lots of things," he said. "But I would love reconciliation with my family … there's no point in continuing to fight anymore. And life is precious."He added: "I don't know how much longer my father has. He won't speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile."