Inside the “Rapprochement” Meeting Between King Charles and Prince Harry’s Press Teams

A reconciliation between Prince Harry and King Charles might be in the cards. According to the the Mail on Sunday, the King’s head of communications, Tobyn Andreae, met with Harry’s US-based head of communications, Meredith Maines, last week. Maines, who traveled from Los Angeles for the meeting, was also joined by Harry’s UK-based spokesman Liam Maguire, and there are hopes in both camps that a rapprochement could be reached.

Sources close to the Duke of Sussex told Vanity Fair that Prince Harry asked for the meeting while Maines was in London to meet his UK based staff. The meeting—an al fresco drink, which was captured by a photographer— took place just a stone’s throw from Clarence House, his father’s official London residence.

While details of what was discussed at the meeting are not known, sources close to Harry say that the prince is hopeful that progress can be made. Harry has publicly said he wants to repair his relationship with his father and is privately said to be hoping that his father might consider coming to the 2027 Invictus Games which will take place in Birmingham. Harry has reportedly invited members of his family to the opening ceremony, after being upset that they declined to attend the London service honoring 10 years of the Games in May 2024.

“Harry’s hoping that things can be rectified, He really wants a relationship with his father. He wants to change the narrative and not have the family feud be the focus of most stories that are written about him,” a source told VF. “There’s also hope that this might be the slow burner leading up to the Invictus Games. It’s two years away, but it’s going to take some time to change the narrative. Harry’s hope is that there will be another meeting, although it depends on how things play out.”

In a May 2025 interview with the BBC, Harry revealed that his father was not taking his calls. Sources close to Charles say he wants a better relationship with his youngest son. “The King has been deeply saddened by what has happened and if he can, he wants to sort things out with Harry,” said one of Charles’ close friends. “It’s his son and he loves him despite some of the things that have been said and done. The door has always been left open for a rapprochement, but it does very much depend on Harry and whether Charles can trust him.”

The leak of the “secret” meeting to the Mail on Sunday is problematic, however Harry’s PR team has claimed they did not share the details to the press. Sources close to the king say that progress can only be made if details of private meetings and conversations are not leaked to the media. Harry has previously detailed conversations between him and his father and his brother Prince William in his explosive autobiography, Spare.

In his recent interview with the BBC he said he didn’t know how long his father had left, which is said to have upset Charles and infuriated his closest advisors. Harry added that he would “love a reconciliation” with his family but that the King “won’t speak to me because of security stuff.” The duke was referring to his High Court battle with the Home Office after he lost his right to automatic police protection when he travels to the UK.

Charles has only met Harry’s two children with Meghan Markle, six-year-old Prince Archie, and four-year-old Princess Lilibet, on a handful of occasions and is said to want to see more of his California-based family.