Despite having complicated family ties with the British Royal family, Prince Harry wasted no time rushing to King Charles III’s side after his cancer diagnosis was made public. The Prince, who lives in Montecito, California, arrived at the King’s royal residence at Clarence House on Tuesday February 6. He headed there directly from the airport.
He arrived at the residence around 2:45pm London time, however King Charles III and Queen Camilla were seen exiting the property and driving to nearby Buckingham Palace around 3:30pm. This offers a grand total of 45 minutes where their paths crossed.
The royal family and Prince Harry came under fire for the visit. How could Charles leave his son so soon after his olive branch flight? Also, how little respect for the environment to fly both ways across the pond for just 45 minutes?
Prince Harry Says He “Loves” His Family
Prince Harry defended his short visits, speaking at an Invictus Games celebration in Canada.
“Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that,” he said. “I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could.”
He former royal also admitted that he feels there are hard times in life that bring us together, including sickness.
“So, yeah, I think any illness, any sickness, brings families together. I see it time and time again, and that makes me very happy.”
Prince Harry’s recent warmth towards ‘the institution’ has raised some questions about whether he would step back into a temporary royal role during King Charles’ convalescence.
While The Australian reports that the Duke of Sussex is willing to return to a royal role, insiders told the Daily Mail that it’s unlikely he’ll be brought into the royal fold again.
What Happened When Prince Harry Visited King Charles III After His Cancer Diagnosis?
Despite Prince Harry flying from Montecito to London to visit King Charles in Clarence House, he had a maximum of 45 minutes with his father.
After leaving Harry for Buckingham Palace, the King and Queen were spirited away into a helicopter to Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
The Mirror reports that King Charles, who likes to be on time, delayed the chopper for a short while in order to meet with his son. An insider said, “He is very fastidious about timekeeping but it was significant that he delayed the flight to Sandringham when he knew Harry was visiting,” according to news.com.au.
Adding, “After all, the Duke of Sussex had flown all the way from California at short notice and he accepted the gesture. There is cause for optimism.”
Meetings between Prince Harry and King Charles III have been rare since Harry vacated his royal position. The last time the royal saw his father was at his coronation, on May 6, 2023.
What Cancer Does King Charles Have?
At this stage we don’t have many details on exactly what type of cancer His Majesty, who has been King for just over a year, is suffering from.
However, the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did tell the BBC that the cancer had been caught early and that he was “shocked and sad” to hear of the diagnosis.
“He’ll just be in our thoughts and our prayers — many families around the country listening to this will have been touched by the same thing and they know what it means to everyone.
“So, we’ll just be willing him on and hopefully we can get through this as quickly as possible,” he continued.
It’s understood that the “form of cancer” was discovered as a part of wider tests that were run when the King went in for surgery to treat a benign enlarged prostate.
“No further details are being shared at this stage, except to confirm that His Majesty does not have prostate cancer,” the palace said.
“Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake state business and official paperwork as usual.”
King Charles will continue his role as head of state in the UK and Australia, alongside his usual paperwork, but will step back from public duties. It’s believed that as the heir, Prince William will step up and complete some of the King’s promised engagements.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shared his condolences with the King.
“Australians know that His Majesty King Charles has always reached out to us in our country’s toughest moments, showing kindness and care for those doing it tough,” he shared on social media.
“All of us are thinking of him and his family in this very hard time. We wish him well for a speedy recovery.”
Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle has stayed home with their children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, to look after the children.
