Prince Harry has paid tribute to his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the third anniversary of her death as he returned to the United Kingdom for a short visit, which has also sparked speculation over whether he might meet his father, King Charles III.
The Duke of Sussex, who lives in California with wife Meghan and their two children, has come back to England for several charity engagements this week.
His last trip to the country was in April to challenge the British government’s decision to downgrade his level of taxpayer-funded security.
Harry, 40, made the transatlantic trip to attend the annual WellChild Awards in London on Monday evening. The charity, which the duke has been a patron of for 17 years, supports seriously ill children and their families.
“For two decades, this event has shone a bright spotlight on the needs of children and young people living with complex medical conditions,” Harry said in a speech at the awards ceremony.
“But more than that, it has celebrated something far bigger – your courage, your resilience, and the extraordinary love of the families and carers who never stop showing up,” he said. “Thank you for showing us the light when all too often darkness can consume us.”
After arriving on Monday, the duke made his way to Windsor where the late Queen was laid to rest alongside her husband Prince Philip. Harry laid a wreath and flowers at the King George VI Memorial Chapel within St. George’s Chapel in her memory, according to a spokesperson for the Sussexes.
On Tuesday, he will travel to Nottingham to visit the Community Recording Studio, an organization that teaches film, video and music skills. During the event, he is due to announce a substantial donation to Children in Need to assist the charity’s work tackling violence affecting young people.
It’s not yet known if Harry will see his father, King Charles, during his visit to the UK this week. – Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images
He will also hold a private briefing with Children in Need, the Police and Crime Commission and grassroots community partners. Harry will also informally catch up with some of the young people he has previously met before watching several live performances from the studio’s artists.
It is not known if the duke will reunite with the British monarch during his short stay. Buckingham Palace has not commented publicly.
King Charles is currently in Balmoral, Scotland, where he has been spending his summer break, but he has been regularly traveling back down south for cancer treatment. He and the Queen do not have any public engagements scheduled for the week ahead.
Charles and Harry’s last encounter was in February 2024 when the duke rushed back to the UK to see his father following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis.
In July, senior aides to the King and Harry were photographed meeting in the British capital in what multiple British media outlets reported was an initial step towards opening communication channels between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Prince William was joined by his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales as the couple also marked the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. The pair visited the National Federation of Women’s Institutes in Sunningdale, just outside of London.
The organization was particularly close to the late monarch’s heart as she was a member for 80 years and served as the president of the Sandringham branch from 2003 until her death.
The Prince of Wales will on Tuesday visit Spiral Skills, a youth organization in south London, which received funding from William’s homelessness initiative, “Homewards,” to expand its operations into a new hub for young people in the area.
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