King Charles III and Queen Camilla met with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their two children on Friday, marking the first time the family has been together in four years, according to British media reports.
The Press Association news agency reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their children, traveled to the meeting from an unspecified location in Europe.
Harry had initially arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday for a visit tied to the one-year countdown for next year’s Invictus Games, the sporting event for wounded veterans that he founded.
Meghan and the couple’s children, seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet, were originally expected to skip the UK trip, a decision reportedly influenced by the denial of official police protection.
Buckingham Palace has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the family gathering.
The reunion comes after a long period of separation; Harry and Meghan relocated to California in 2020, and the grandchildren had not seen King Charles since 2022.
The family meeting also follows a major legal setback for the prince.
On Tuesday, Harry and several other high-profile individuals lost a court case against the publishers of the Daily Mail tabloid, whom they had accused of unlawful information gathering.
A subsequent hearing scheduled for July 29-30 could result in Harry and the six other complainants being ordered to pay significant legal fees.
During the emotional court proceedings, Harry, alongside figures like musician Elton John and actress Elizabeth Hurley, gave testimony accusing the tabloid publisher of invading their privacy.
This lawsuit, the third and final one initiated by the Duke of Sussex against British tabloids, has added further tension to his relationship with the royal family.
The 41-year-old prince has faced multiple legal battles, including ongoing disputes regarding his security detail in the UK following his step-back from senior royal duties six years ago.
The couple originally departed Britain for North America in 2020 amid a deep family rift, which intensified after the publication of Harry’s candid memoir, “Spare”.
Despite the friction, Harry has previously expressed a desire to reconcile with his father.
The prince has also long held the media accountable for the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi.
