King Charles III and his son, the Duke of Sussex, held a short but significant private meeting in September, marking their first in-person encounter since February 2024. The 50-minute meeting at a royal residence has been viewed as a tentative step towards mending the well-documented rift within the Royal Family.
The Secret Talks That Paved the Way
This pivotal father-son meeting was reportedly facilitated by a discreet summit held months earlier. In July, the Sussexes' then-Communications Chief, Meredith Maines, met with the King's press secretary, Tobyn Andreae, at a private members' club near Clarence House.
Also present was Liam Maguire, head of the Sussexes' UK PR team. An insider described the encounter as "informal drinks" on the club's garden terrace. A source stated, "There was no formal agenda. But both sides came to the table ready to talk. It’s the first real channel of communication we’ve seen in years."
This secret discussion is believed to have been crucial in arranging the September meeting, which Buckingham Palace later confirmed was a private tea lasting about 50 minutes.
PR Turbulence for the Sussexes
The diplomatic breakthrough was swiftly followed by a significant professional blow for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Meredith Maines, who had been appointed at the end of 2024, announced she was stepping down from her role after just a year.
This makes Maines the eleventh PR officer to leave the Sussexes' employ in five years. A source close to Maines told ITV News she had decided it was "time to go," having "accomplished a lot this year" and helped with a "transition period."
Maines is understood to be moving to a new career opportunity. Following her departure, her deputy, Liam Maguire, has been asked to step up as Chief Communications Officer for the couple.
A Strained Relationship and Hopes for Reconciliation
The September meeting was laden with emotional weight, coming after Prince Harry's emotional BBC interview in May where he expressed a desire to rebuild family ties, saying, "I would love a reconciliation with my family."
The last time the pair met face-to-face was shortly after the King's cancer diagnosis in early 2024. While Prince Harry has visited the UK since for other reasons, including court cases, he had not seen his father, underscoring the ongoing strain.
After the brief September reunion, Prince Harry responded to reporters' questions about his father's health with a simple, "yes, he's great." Insiders have cautiously tipped the encounter as a potential "first step" in a longer "rapprochement process" between the Sussexes and the wider Royal Family.
