Prince Harry and his father King Charles have had a strained relationship in recent years following Harry's decision to step down as a working royal. But even before Harry moved across the pond to live in California, the Duke of Sussex suggested in his 2023 memoir Spare that his relationship with his father was distant.
Harry claimed that his father, who he called 'Pa', struggled "communicating" with him. "Pa and I mostly coexisted. He had trouble communicating, trouble listening, trouble being intimate face-to-face," the Duke of Sussex wrote.
"On occasion, after a long multi-course dinner, I'd walk upstairs and find a letter on my pillow. The letter would say how proud he was of me for something I'd done or accomplished. I'd smile, place it under my pillow, but also wonder why he hadn't said this moments ago, while seated directly across from me," he alleged.
© GettyIn another passage from the memoir, Harry claimed his father "didn't hug" him.
"Not that Pa hadn't always been a bit checked out. He'd always given an air of being not quite ready for parenthood - the responsibilities, the patience, the time. Even he, though a proud man, would've admitted as much. But single parenthood? Pa was never made for that."
© GettySteps to reconciling
While he's been estranged from his family, Harry publicly expressed his hopes to reunite with his father during a 2025 interview with the BBC. "I would love reconciliation with my family; there's no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has; he won't speak to me because of this security stuff," Harry said at the time, adding: "If they don't want that, that's entirely up to them."
During Harry's recent trip to the UK last month, he quietly reunited with his father for the first time in a year. Harry travelled to his father's Gloucestershire residence, Highgrove House, where he was hosted by the monarch and Queen Camilla. The Duke of Sussex was joined by his wife Meghan and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for the private family reunion, which reportedly lasted an hour.
Friends of the Prince have said the Duke is feeling "buoyed, very happy, and really energised" following the meet-up, according to a source in The Times. It was implied the royal hopes the meeting could mark a fresh start. "Every journey of a thousand miles begins with one footstep," the insider added.
Prior to the recent reunion, Harry was last seen meeting with his father in September 2025 at Charles' London residence, Clarence House. Buckingham Palace confirmed the Duke of Sussex, who was seen arriving by car, enjoyed a private tea with the monarch.
