In a surprise turn of events, the King and Queen hosted Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet at Highgrove House today, it is understood.
Highgrove House is the private country home of the King, in rural Gloucestershire.
The unexpected reunion, which happened today, comes amid swirling speculation about Harry’s strained relationship with his father and brother.
Harry has been in the UK to mark a one-year countdown to his Invictus Games at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham.
Meghan reportedly met Harry in the UK with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
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The reunion is even more surprising given recent reports that Meghan wouldn’t be joining Harry in the UK with their two young children.
It has been four years since Harry’s children have seen their grandfather, King Charles.
A source said before the reunion: ‘The hope is they can meet their grandfather. But there is no way that can happen if they are chased by paparazzi wherever they go from the moment they step off the plane.’
In mid-May, insiders said that Harry wants to make amends with his family and spend time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland — which has been a retreat for the Royal Family since 1852 — and allow his two children to build precious memories with their grandfather, King Charles.
Meghan, however, is said to prefer the prospect of spending their time relaxing at their recently completed Portugal villa.
Harry has been estranged from his father, Charles, and brother, Prince William, since he and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020.
The children have not seen the king in person since 2022, during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee weekend.
After retreating from their royal roles, Harry and Meghan were stripped of their taxpayer-funded police protection.
Harry then lost a legal challenge to have this protection reinstated when visiting the UK in May last year.
In a BBC interview after the ruling, Harry said it wasn’t safe to bring his family back to the country because he could not guarantee their safety.
The Duke of Sussex currently pays for a private security team, which he says does not have the proper jurisdiction to protect his family in Great Britain.
The insider added that the ‘situation is said to be causing strain between the couple.’