Prince Harry's reaction as he's surprised with joke about dad King Charles during Meghan date night

Prince Harry was caught off guard with a surprise comment about King Charles as he attended a charity gala with Meghan Markle over the weekend. 

The Duke of Sussex, 41, met Sydnie Christmas, the 2024 winner of Britain's Got Talent, who was performing at David Foster's gala in Canada. 

Harry told Sydnie, who performed Tomorrow from Annie and Frank Sinatra's My Way, that he "felt every word in the back of his throat". 

However, Sydnie was clearly slightly nervous about her brush with royalty, telling The Sun afterwards: "When I was on stage, I joked about meeting his dad before adding, 'Sorry he couldn’t make it. He sent me instead'." 

© The David Foster Foundation via

Luckily, Harry took it all in good humour and "started laughing" at the mention of the King. "I say such silly things when I'm nervous," added Sydnie. 

"When I got down off stage he just came forward and gave me a big cuddle."

Writing on her social media account afterwards, Sydnie called meeting the fifth in line to the throne an "absolute pinch me moment". 

She also told Harry: "You are the loveliest soul." 

Prince Harry and King Charles's thawing relationship

Harry's happy reaction to a mention of his father comes amid recent signs that their relationship appears to be thawing somewhat. 

The father and son had a strained relationship in recent years following Harry's decision to step down as a working royal, his Netflix documentary and his memoir Spare. 

© WireImage

In Spare, Harry said he struggled "communicating" with his father, adding: "Pa and I mostly coexisted. He had trouble communicating, trouble listening, trouble being intimate face-to-face."

However, during a 2025 interview with the BBC, Harry openly admitted he "would love" to reconcile with his family. 

In September that year, he met his father briefly for a meeting at Clarence House, and reunited again with Charles last month. 

Harry and Meghan took their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, to Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, where they met the King and Queen Camilla. 

Sadly, Harry still doesn't appear to be on speaking terms with his older brother, Prince William, whom he hasn't seen in years. 

Why were Meghan and Harry in Canada?

Harry and Meghan enjoyed a rare date night as they attended the gala at the Victoria Conference Centre, as David Foster is one of their close friends. 

The Duchess, 45, looked stunning in a strapless gown, while Harry was smartly dressed in a tux. 

© Instagram/ @meghan

Meghan opted for a gown by Canadian designer Greta Constantine with a clean, minimalist silhouette, and added a pair of sapphire-and-diamond earrings that once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

Canada has a special significance for the couple, as it's where they first moved after stepping down as senior royals in 2020, before settling permanently in Montecito, California. 

Former actress Meghan also lived and worked in Toronto while starring in the popular US drama Suits.