Speculation is mounting that the Duchess of Sussex and her children could be reunited with King Charles during Prince Harry’s week-long UK trip, as he launches the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games.
Harry initially arrived in London on Monday without his family, who had pulled out of the visit due to security concerns. However, it now appears these safety worries may have been mitigated.
The Duke has spent his time promoting WellChild, a charity he supports as patron, including a visit to Birmingham Children’s Hospital to celebrate 20 years of its specialist nursing programme.
Both the Daily Mirror and Telegraph newspapers have reported on the prospect of the King seeing his grandchildren, who are said to have had little contact with Charles.
Meghan’s spokesperson declined to comment about the reports.
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, last saw their grandfather in person during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
The children were not expected to attend any public events but Meghan was scheduled to join her husband at the Invictus one-year-to-go event at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham on Friday.
Harry has faced a protracted legal battle with the Home Office over the security arrangements for him and his family when in the UK after his level of protection changed when he stepped down as a working royal in 2020.
When the duke lost a Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office last year, he gave a BBC interview in which he expressed hopes of a reconciliation with his family, revealing Charles would not speak to him because of his security court case.
Harry added: “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point and the things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything you know.”
The duke travelled to Birmingham days after he lost his High Court claim, made with a group of celebrities, against the Daily Mail’s publishers over alleged unlawful information-gathering.
He was mobbed by nurses as he walked through Birmingham Children’s Hospital where he spoke about the “financial difficulties” facing the NHS.
Harry’s appearance caused excitement in the corridors with nurses surrounding him – and one female medic received a hug – while families asked for pictures and he posed for a group shot with around a dozen nurses telling them: “Thank you for everything you do.”
In a speech to mark the 20-year milestone, the duke told a room of WellChild executives, nurses and families who they help: “I don’t know if you hear it enough, the difference that you make every single day is quite literally changing daily lives.”
He said: “I understand, and we understand that becomes harder every week with cuts and financial difficulties…just the insanity that that seems to be circulating, not just in this country but in general.
“But hospitals like this don’t run without people like you, and families like this can’t be families that they want to be at home without the expertise and the skill set that you’re handing over to them and WellChild is right at the centre of that.”
During the one-year-to-go event on Friday being staged at the NEC, the main venue for the 2027 Invictus Games, Harry will watch and take part in a series of exhibition events alongside past competitors.
Birmingham will welcome more than 550 wounded, injured and sick service personnel, veterans, and their families, from 26 nations, and the athletes will take part in 12 adaptive sports to support their recovery and inspire others.
