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By Jack Royston

Chief Royal Correspondent

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Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will reportedly accompany their parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, on a visit to Britain in July, paving the way for their first opportunity to see their grandfather, King Charles III, in four years.

Harry's return to his home country has long been expected due to promotional events marking one year to go before he hosts the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.

News.co.au and Britain's Daily Telegraph reported Harry intends to bring not only Meghan but also Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, with him and that a meeting with Charles is likely.

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Why It Matters

King Charles has not had an opportunity to see his grandchildren since 2022, when Harry and Meghan brought their children to London for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.

That was, in fact, Lilibet’s only visit, and she was 1 year old at the time, making it unlikely she will remember the experience. A new visit would therefore give the children a chance to form lasting memories of their grandfather.

King Charles Would 'Absolutely Love to See His Grandchildren'

Afua Hagan, a U.K. based royal commentator, told Newsweek: "The fact that both of them, both Harry and Meghan are coming, I think is a big deal and bringing their children is another big deal.

"I think this really does open the door towards a meeting with King Charles because he would absolutely love to see his grandchildren."

Such a meeting would represent a significant milestone in the healing of the rift between Harry and his father, which played out over years in which the prince and Meghan repeatedly criticized the royal family and institution of monarchy, including in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, their Netflix docu-series Harry & Meghan and Harry's book Spare.

Since the memoir was published in January 2023, hostilities have de-escalated, though Harry's last criticism of his father came in May 2025 when he told the BBC that Charles needed to "step out of the way," implying the king was blocking his attempts to get police protection. The comment was made after he lost a Court of Appeal case against the U.K. Government over the issue.

The Role of Prince Harry's Police Protection

Harry has consistently said bringing his family to the U.K. would be unsafe without Metropolitan Police protection, which was removed in February 2020 after his decision to step back from royal duties and move to the United States.

Since then, the U.K. Home Office has operated a bespoke system whereby he is sometimes given protection, but usually only when he has an official invite from the palace.

The suggestion that the children will join Harry, therefore, lends weight to hopes that a meeting with the king is planned, though neither side confirmed any arrangement when approached by Newsweek.

"That implies an invite has been extended from the palace," Hagan said. "That's not an olive branch, that's an olive grove. For that security threshold to be there, implies that the security that Harry wants and has pleaded for has been provided and that takes an invitation from the King.

"Clearly he feels like the security is enough for him to be able to bring not only Meghan, but his entire family, which I think is great. This is what he wanted, to be able to bring his children to the country that he's from and potentially see his family."

Thawing Relations Between Harry and King Charles

A fragile thaw appears to be underway between Harry and Charles, with the first signs emerging just weeks after Harry's BBC interview.

In the summer of 2025, senior aides representing the king and Harry met discreetly at a London private members’ club, the Royal Over-Seas League, for informal drinks.

When pictures emerged in the British press, speculation grew of a rapprochement. By September, Harry and Charles met in person for a tea, lasting under an hour, at Clarence House. It was their first meeting since February 2024, the same month Charles announced he had been diagnosed with cancer.

It came after Harry had publicly expressed a desire for reconciliation, saying earlier in the year that “there’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” in his BBC interview.

So far, the thaw in relations has been largely confined to Charles and Harry, so if Meghan and the children enjoy a warm meeting with the King, that would mark a significant moment.

In the longer term, one barrier to a full reconciliation may prove to be Prince William, who is reportedly more hardline than their father about the exclusion of the Sussexes from royal life.

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