Royal fans are still wondering what was said behind closed doors as Prince Harry and King Charles reunited this week for the first time in 19 months. The pair met for a private tea at Clarence House on Wednesday, September 10 — a meeting that lasted just 55 minutes but carried huge symbolic weight, coming after the King’s cancer diagnosis last year.
While no official details of the conversation have been released, former royal butler Grant Harrold has offered his insight into what might have been on the agenda. Speaking on behalf of OLBG, Harrold admitted the meeting was “likely slightly awkward on both sides,” but said the important thing was that father and son were finally sitting down together without their advisors.
One of the first issues, he suggested, would have been privacy. Harrold believes Charles would have wanted an understanding that nothing discussed in their meeting would be made public without mutual agreement, stressing how important trust is for the King.
Beyond that, the conversation may have turned to Harry’s work. The Duke of Sussex has been back in the UK this week and has made headlines for his ongoing charitable projects, something Harrold said Charles would naturally have asked about. The King, he added, knows how passionate his son is about the causes he supports.
Inevitably, Meghan Markle and the children may also have come up. Harrold speculated that Charles would have asked about the Duchess of Sussex and Harry’s young family, and whether they might return to Britain together at some point in the future. “He will be keen to spend time with them,” the former butler said.
Then there’s the subject many believe hangs over any reunion: Prince William. According to Harrold, the King may have carefully broached the rift between his two sons, as well as reflecting on family memories of the late Queen. With reconciliation high on Charles’ wish list, the hope is that one private conversation might lay the groundwork for bigger steps toward unity.
For now, the outcome remains unknown. But one thing is certain: this meeting, however brief, has raised hopes that a thaw may finally be possible in the royal family’s long-running divisions.