PRINCE Harry is keen to “come back more to the UK and bring his family” as he is due to visit next week but has no idea if he will see the King.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, has only made rare visits to Britain since heading to North America five years ago.
It’s highly unlikely Prince Harry will meet with William, his older brother, and there are currently no plans for the Duke of Sussex to see his father King Charles[/caption]
Pals of Prince Harry say the royal is keen to bring his wife Meghan Markle and his children to the UK[/caption]
But now it seems he wants to change that with a four-day visit, his longest trip here since Queen Elizabeth’s death three years ago.
He will be travelling without his wife Meghan Markle or his young family.
The prince lost his battle with the Home Office over the level of security and believes it is not safe for the Duchess of Sussex or his children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, to travel to the UK.
In May though he told the BBC he missed the UK.
However, pals say that Harry has not given up hope of bringing his family across the Atlantic Ocean.
There is now said to be acknowledgment by the prince and his camp that engaging in a public battle with the UK government and courts was not the best idea, a case which is thought to have cost the prince more than £1million.
It’s expected Harry will now take a different, under-the-radar tact, with those close to the prince saying the government should expect more private “lobbying”.
A friend told The Times: “He’s not given up hope on bringing his family back to the UK.
“He wants to be able to show his children where he grew up. He wants them to know their family here.
“He really would like to come back to the UK much more.”
But it is expected Harry will be “going to have some fun” this week during his visit, according to pals.
On Monday, which is the third anniversary of his grandmother’s death, he will attend the WellChild Awards in London, hosted by the charity supporting seriously ill children, of which he is patron.
The following day he will head out of the capital for an engagement focused on helping young people affected by violence.
While on Wednesday and Thursday he has a number of private receptions and meeting lined up with most of his other charities and patronages.
These include the Invictus Foundation, the Diana Award and Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity supporting bereaved military children.
With a jam-packed schedule though the question still up in the air is will he meet his father, King Charles.
The monarch hasn’t seen his youngest son since February last year when Harry flew to London for a half hour meeting after Charles had announced his cancer diagnosis.
As of last weekend, no meeting between father and son was planned but that could change in the coming days.
Friends of Harry say the ball is now in the Royal Family’s court after the prince made it clear he wanted a reconciliation.
But those in royal circles see the situation differently and want Harry to stop making public pleas.
It is understood there is “no direct communication at all at the moment” between father and son at the moment.
One thing is certain though, there will be no meeting between Harry and his older brother Prince William.
Sources say Harry, who has not been offered a place at a royal palace, has not been asked to meet the King but would accept were the offer made.
He may get the opportunity if he decides to extend his stay for the funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who died on Thursday at the age of 92, although no date has yet been set.
She was friends with Princess Diana — Harry’s mother and Charles’ former wife — and acted as a mentor when she married into the Royal Family.
Speaking on The Sun’s show Royal Exclusive, royal expert Charles Rae predicted that any get-together between son and father was also unlikely.
He said: “The big problem is that Harry is flying 5,500 miles to London and the King is still 500 miles away in Scotland. It is unlikely you would expect the King would fly down again to have a cup of tea with Harry.”
He added that any attempt at a peace deal would be impossible without Prince William, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, 44.
He explained: “I can’t see how you could possibly have a reconciliation without the whole family being involved.”
Royal journalist Victoria Murphy said that, if Charles and Harry did not meet, “it would make me feel things are worse than I thought they were”.
In July, Harry’s spin doctors met the King’s communication chief in London in what was believed to be the first step towards improving their transatlantic relations.
No meeting between father and son has been planned but that could change in the coming days[/caption]