Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailThe Duke of Sussex was reunited with the King for their first face-to-face meeting in more than a year and a half.Prince Harry arrived at the residence on Wednesday in a black Range Rover at 5.20pm for a private tea, leaving after about an hour to attend an Invictus Games event in London.It is the duke’s first visit to the UK in five months, when he attended a hearing for his court battle against the Home Office about changes to his state-funded security.After losing the legal challenge, the full extent of Harry’s rift with his family was pulled into the spotlight as he told the BBC his father was not speaking to him.open image in galleryThe duke has also not seen his estranged brother, the Prince of Wales, during his visit to the country (Getty)The duke has also not seen his estranged brother, the Prince of Wales, during his visit to the country. There are no expected plans for the pair to meet, with their relationship having turned sour in recent years.He has also been engaged in a series of legal battles against the UK press, securing a victory over the publishers of The Daily Mirror and an apology and settlement from the publishers of The Sun.But have father and son finally made amends? Here is a look at Prince Harry’s relationship with his family throughout the years, and how the rift developed.ChildhoodWilliam and Harry were thought to be close when they were growing up, sharing a close-knit friendship circle and going to the same school.But in more recent interviews, the duke has shared glimpses of more challenging aspects of their sibling relationship.open image in galleryPrinces Harry and William on Harry’s first day at Wetherby School (PA Wire)In a 2023 interview, Harry said he was “hurt” by a request from William to act as if they didn’t know each other when he started at Eton.He’s also spoken about the different ways the brothers responded to the death of their mother, Princess Diana, at such a young age.Likewise, the duke’s relationship with his father seemed largely positive. However, in his memoir, Harry disclosed it was Charles who first bestowed the nickname “spare” upon him, which the book is named after.open image in galleryCharles poses with his sons during the royal family’s ski break in 2005 in Switzerland (Getty)2003 to 2016Once Harry left school, his relationship with his family continued to appear positive, and he was thought to have got along well with the now Princess of Wales after she and William met in 2001.In 2011, Harry served as William’s best man at his wedding, where he was seen on broadcast telling his brother that Kate looked “beautiful” as she walked down the aisle.open image in galleryPrince William and Kate Middleton married in 2011 (PA)However, in Spare, Harry claims this was a “bare-faced lie” and claimed he was made to “act out” the role at the royal wedding to spare scrutiny into the lives of his brother’s two closest friends.The trio were often seen at royal engagements together, including the Olympics and Trooping of the Colour and launched their Heads Together charity in 2016.open image in galleryPrince William with his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton and Prince Harry watching rugby in 2007 (AP)Charles was also supportive of his son’s ventures. He and William attended the first Invictus Games in 2014, an initiative still at the forefront of Harry’s work.open image in galleryCharles and William attended the first Invictus Games in 2014 (PA)2016In 2016, Harry met Meghan Markle and the pair’s relationship was soon picked up by the press.The media frenzy prompted Harry’s press secretary to release a statement denouncing “racial undertones of comment pieces” published in the media, and said Meghan had been subjected to a “wave of abuse and harassment”.In Spare, Harry claims this made William and Charles “furious”.open image in galleryHarry met Meghan Markle in 2016 (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)2017Meghan and Harry announced their engagement.William, Kate, Harry and Meghan were nicknamed the “fab four”, however, it was later apparent that tensions were beginning to simmer under the surface.open image in galleryThe pair were married in May 2018, with Prince William also serving as the duke’s best man (WPA Rota)2018In Spare, Harry recalled finding Meghan “sobbing” on the floor in the run-up to their wedding over an argument with Kate about Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress.The pair were married in May 2018, with Prince William also serving as the duke’s best man.However, in his book, Harry recounted an argument later that year, claiming Meghan had to tell William to “kindly take your finger out of my face”.By late 2018, news of the rift had begun to make its way into the British press.open image in galleryThe four on Christmas day in 2018 (AP)2019Meghan later told Oprah Winfrey that by January 2019, the media coverage had left her feeling suicidal.In his memoir, Harry also claims he and William got into a physical altercation this year during an argument about Meghan.open image in galleryMeghan, Kate and Kate’s sister, Pippa attend Wimbledon in 2019 (PA Archive)2020Harry and Meghan announced they plan to “step back” as senior royals and become financially independent, and move to California. In February, the committee that oversees royal security decided Harry would not receive the same level of taxpayer-funded protection as he did when he was a full-time royal. He then launched legal action against the government over the decision.2021Harry and Meghan recorded a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, which included conversations that one family member had “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he’s born”.open image in galleryThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their interview with Oprah Winfrey (PA Media)2022Harry and Meghan returned to the UK after the death of Queen Elizabeth. They joined William and Kate on a walkabout.open image in galleryHarry and Meghan returned to the UK after the death of Queen Elizabeth (AP)2023Harry’s ghostwritten memoir Spare was published and became a bestseller. It recounts Harry’s grief at the death of his mother when he was 12, his frustrations in his royal role and anger at his father, brother, stepmother and the media, among others.In May, Harry attended Charles’s coronation without Meghan.The duke has also engaged in a series of legal battles against the UK press, having won a landmark court case against the publishers of The Mirror in 2023, which was found to have engaged in “extensive” phone hacking. More recently, Harry secured an apology and settlement with the publishers of The Sun for “serious intrusion”.open image in galleryHarry’s ghostwritten memoir Spare was published and became a bestseller (Getty Images)2024Following the news of Charles’s cancer diagnosis, Harry flew to the UK to see his father for a short 30-minute meeting at Clarence House.2025Harry attended a two-day appeal hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice for his legal challenge over his security arrangements.open image in galleryThe Duke of Sussex leaves Clarence House in London (AFP/Getty)Three Court of Appeal judges dismiss Harry’s case. Harry responded in an interview, saying the decision means he can’t bring his wife and children to his home country. He also said he wants reconciliation with his family, adding: ”There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore”.In September, Harry returned to the UK for a four-day visit. He met with his father at Clarence House, suggesting his frosty relationship with the King has thawed.
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How Prince Harry’s private tea with King Charles could mark start of new era after years of conflict
