King Charles may not invite Harry to Sandringham due to ‘bitter experience’

Reports suggest the King may still be reluctant to invite Prince Harry and his family to stay over the summer due to “low trust and bitter experience” following a series of leaks, allegations and media briefings that have undermined the relationship between father and son in recent years.

Comments from “a source close to the monarch” and reported Daily Mail It suggests that the relationship between Charles and Harry remains difficult.

The source, also described as “a friend of the King”, said: “If Harry really wants to see his father he would do well to encourage his supporters to allow such matters to be discussed privately, as low trust and bitter experience on this issue remain one of the main obstacles to progress.”

The Duke, 41, has only met his father twice in the past two years after he and his wife Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to the US following a falling out with the Royal family, including controversial TV interviews and the publication of his memoir Spare.

But there have been various reports in recent months that Harry wants to mend fences with his father and enable the King to see his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, 6 and 4, who have not seen their grandfather for four years.

This weekend it emerged that Harry would welcome the King’s invitation to his Norfolk estate, Sandringham, believing it would allow him to bring his family with him.

An important consideration is security. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex lost their taxpayer-funded protections when they stepped back as senior royals. They are currently awaiting a government decision on security clearances and Harry has said he would not feel safe bringing his family to the UK without armed police protection.

But this weekend a friend of Harry’s said: Sunday Times: “If he had been invited by the King, he would have received a security suite that would automatically activate.

“He wants to be invited to Sandringham. Will he go? It depends on who’s there. The King would be delighted if he said, ‘Come and spend some time with the family.'”

The friend reportedly added: “There are many scenarios for this to work but they’re all out of Harry’s hands. No father wants to put his children at any risk.”

Despite this assessment, Daily Mail It has cast doubt on whether the Sussexes would be automatically entitled to enhanced security protection for a private family visit.

Publicly funded security, Queen Elizabeth II. It is claimed that it is only to attend official events at the request or invitation of the monarch, such as Elizabeth’s funeral or the King’s coronation in 2023.

Harry last saw his father on September 10 last year, when they met for less than an hour at Clarence House for the first time in 19 months. A source close to the Duke later said: Sunday Times: “He loves seeing his father all the time and wants to see him as much as possible.”

The pair are believed to have spoken many times since then, but have not specifically met despite Harry being in London for his ongoing case against Associated Newspapers. He and his brother, the Prince of Wales, are still estranged.

Before the September meeting, Harry and Charles last met in person in February 2024, when the duke made a transatlantic dash to see the monarch after hearing of his cancer diagnosis. On that occasion, they spent just over 30 minutes together before the King left to recuperate at Sandringham. Charles is still receiving treatment for the disease.

Harry has previously spoken of his hopes for a “reconciliation” with his family, saying: “Of course some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course they’ll never forgive me for a lot of things.”

But despite the allegations in his book, Harry said last year that he had now “forgiven” them.

“I would love to make peace with my family. There is no point in continuing to fight anymore,” he said. “I don’t know how long my father has left to live.”

Buckingham Palace and Harry and Meghan’s representatives have been approached for comment.