Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have reunited with their grandfather King Charles following a four-year separation. The long-awaited family gathering represents a significant development in the ongoing relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the royal household.According to PEOPLE magazine, King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children on Friday, July 10. The reunion took place at Highgrove House, the monarch’s private country residence in Gloucestershire, England. No images are expected to be released from the occasion, and no further details were provided, as the gathering was conducted as a private family meeting.
King Charles and Queen Camilla reportedly welcomed Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children for a private gathering at Highgrove House.Image credit (Instagram)
The gathering marked the first in-person meeting between Prince Archie, 7, Princess Lilibet, 5, and their grandfather, 77, in four years.
Children’s previous time in the United Kingdom
Archie and Lilibet are being raised in California, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated after stepping back as working members of the royal family in 2020. The children were last in their father’s home country in June 2022 during their visit to attend Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, though Archie and Lilibet did not appear at any public events during that trip.The then-Prince Charles and Camilla previously spent time with his grandchildren during that 2022 visit to the United Kingdom, which marked the first occasion when Charles met Lilibet, who was born after the family relocated to California. A royal source at the time expressed the significance of that meeting. “It was a fantastic visit. The prince was delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time. It was wonderful to have the Duke and Duchess of Sussex back in the U.K.,” the insider stated.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet reportedly travelled to the UK for a private family reunion with King Charles.Image credit (Instagram)
The source elaborated on Charles’s emotional response to meeting his granddaughter for the first time. “The Prince and the Duchess [of Cornwall] were absolutely thrilled to see them. The future King had not seen Archie for a bit of time, as he was a baby when Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal roles and moved to California in 2020. It was very special to have some time with him. He hadn’t met Lilibet, his granddaughter, and so to meet her for the first time was very emotional — it was a wonderful thing,” the source said of the 2022 family meeting.
Princess Lilibet’s birthplace and celebration
Princess Lilibet was born in the United States in June 2021. Her parents celebrated her first birthday during their 2022 United Kingdom trip with a “casual, intimate backyard picnic” at their former residence during the Platinum Jubilee visit.
Prince Harry’s UK visit
The reunion comes during Prince Harry’s visit to the United Kingdom, which began on July 6. The Duke originally travelled to Britain solo for a series of charity engagements, including events marking the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. While it was initially announced that Meghan and the children would join him throughout his visit, security concerns complicated those plans.It was later announced that Harry would return to London without his family, though the possibility for them to travel to other parts of the United Kingdom outside the capital remained open. It was reported on July 9 that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet would travel to the U.K., though they are not expected to make any public appearances during their time in the country.
Activities on the day of reunion
Prince Harry and King Charles each stepped out separately earlier on Friday before the reunion took place. Harry participated in trying out some of the sports that will be featured at the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, located approximately 85 miles away from Highgrove House. Meanwhile, the monarch visited Oxfordshire, positioned about 50 miles from Highgrove House.
Prince William’s separate activities
During the same timeframe, Prince William was playing in a charity polo match in Windsor on Friday, supported by his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales. According to available information, there are no known plans for the estranged brothers to reunite during Harry’s visit to the United Kingdom.
Previous meeting between Prince Harry and King Charles
Prince Harry last reunited with his father during a visit to the United Kingdom in September 2025. The Duke of Sussex was seen arriving by car at Clarence House, the King’s London residence and spent approximately 55 minutes inside before departing, marking the most recent documented meeting between the two men before this latest reunion involving the grandchildren.
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