It was the first time Prince Harry and King Charles III had laid eyes on one another in 19 month: a private tea lasting 55 minutes at Clarence House, London from which Prince Harry emerged victorious.
Beaming, the King’s youngest son declared to a crowd of reporters that his father, 76, was “Yes he’s great, thank you”.
Royal insiders are telling Woman’s Day that there was one very important woman working behind the scenes to make the reunion a success – the Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie.
“It was telling that Sophie’s car was spotted driving away from Clarence House just twenty minutes before a suit-clad Prince Harry pulled up in his Range Rover,” Woman’s Day’s royal insider tells.
“It’s no surprise that the King would’ve wanted to get her advice on how to handle the meeting with his son. Sophie is the perfect choice to mediate – as a former PR she’s handled all kinds of awkward situations, even conflicts, she is discreet and she also understands how to handle Harry to avoid him getting upset.
“As for King Charles, he, much like his mother the late Queen Elizabeth, trusts Sophie’s advice implicitly and unlike Queen Camilla and Prince William she is less emotionally involved in the drama with Harry. The King sees Sophie as his secret weapon, her quiet commitment to the Crown gives Charles a sense of continuity, especially when things around him are influx.”
Prince Harry, his driver and Barack Obama’s former bodyguard Christopher Sanchez were used to made the visitor’s entrance as they arrived at 5.20pm on Wednesday 10 September at Clarence House for the all important meeting.
It’s the first time Prince Harry has had an audience with his father since February 2024 when he spent 30 minutes with his father and Queen Camilla, after learning of the King’s cancer announcement.
This time in contrast, he spent almost double the time with his father and on his own. It’s understood that the pair shared a private tea together.
“There’s no doubt that Harry isn’t still fully back in the fold, but this seems to be the first tentative step,” says our insider. “William desperately wanted to be at the meeting but Harry put his foot down and insisted on seeing his father 1-1 and the King respected his son’s wishes.”
Instead Prince William attended an event at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium marking World Suicide Prevention Day. Queen Camilla did not accompany Charles as he flew in from Balmoral landing at RAF Northolt, it’s believed she is still in Scotland.
