Prince Harry Has 'No Plans' to Reunite with Brother Prince William During U.K. Visit, Says Source
The Duke of Sussex met with King Charles amid his cancer news, and the Prince of Wales has been helping Princess Kate recover from recent surgery
Prince Harry traveled to the U.K. following the news of his father King Charles' cancer diagnosis, but his trip home may not include a reunion with his brother Prince William.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, arrived at London Heathrow Airport on Tuesday and traveled to Clarence House, the longtime residence of King Charles, 75. It's believed that the last time the father and son were together was at the monarch's coronation ceremony in May, which Harry attended before heading to the airport to return home immediately following the event. Prince Harry made the solo trip from California, where he lives with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, 4-year-old son Prince Archie and 2-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet.
"That is good," a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's cover story. “Hopefully [Harry] will bring the grandchildren at some point too, as that would be lovely for all of them."
Related: King Charles' Cancer Diagnosis Caught Even Palace Insiders Off Guard: 'Shocked' (Exclusive)
While Prince Harry met with King Charles on Tuesday, just one day after his cancer news was made public, a royal source says there are "no plans" for Prince Harry and Prince William to get together.
Prince William, 41, has a full plate himself. He stepped away from royal engagements in recent weeks as he spends time caring for his three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — while his wife, Kate Middleton, recuperates from her recent abdominal surgery. The Princess of Wales, 42, is not expected to return to public life until at least Easter, the palace previously said.
The Prince of Wales is set to return to public duties on Wednesday with an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle and the annual fundraising gala for the London Air Ambulance.
As heir to the throne, Prince William may undertake some duties on behalf of his father in addition to his own diary of engagements in the coming weeks, PEOPLE understands. However, there are currently no plans to appoint Counsellors of State to act on King Charles’ behalf. Counsellors of State are members of the royal family who can carry out constitutional duties for the monarch if he is abroad or unwell. The positions are currently held by Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
While heirs in other royal families around the world sometimes act as regents when the monarch is unwell or abroad, the case is different in the U.K. According to the House of Commons Library, regents are only instated permanently in Britain.
Prince Harry laid bare the painful rift between himself and his family in the pages of his memoir Spare released in Jan. 2022 — and the world learned the extent of the division between the brothers.
Nearly a year after Spare’s publication, “absolutely nothing has changed,” author Omid Scobie told PEOPLE in the fall.
In fact, the hurt and anger between the two brothers — one, the Prince of Wales and future king and the other, the Duke of Sussex and Californian — has now hardened into something colder and more immovable, said Scobie: indifference.
“I saw Harry’s release of Spare as his last attempt at telling his family how he’s felt for years,” says Scobie, who chronicles both the breakdown of the royal family and the weakening of the modern monarchy in his book Endgame. “Because clearly there’s never been an open enough forum to have these conversations or share these feelings."
In writing Endgame, “I was talking to a source quite early on in the process, and they called Harry a ‘defector’ and said that was William’s view,” says Scobie. “These were two men who once upon a time were firmly aligned in their outlook. One of them had to move on to also protect the crown.”
Related: King Charles Personally Shared Cancer Diagnosis with Prince Harry, Prince William and Family
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PEOPLE understands that the monarch told his two sons about the cancer diagnosis himself. The King also personally informed his siblings, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, before the news was made public.
King Charles was last seen attending church on Sunday at St. Mary Magdalene Church near Sandringham with Queen Camilla. It marked the monarch's first outing since leaving the hospital on Jan. 29, where he gave a wave to well-wishers on his way out of the private clinic.
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