Harry's secret meeting with Charles lasted just 15 minutes: 'Broken-hearted'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle secretly flew into the UK this week for a meeting with the Queen in Windsor on Thursday, a year after the Duke of Sussex last saw his grandmother at Prince Philip's funeral.

However, before Harry and Meghan were granted an audience with the Queen, the Daily Mail reports she told her grandson he would need to first visit his father Prince Charles.

With Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall already at Windsor where they were standing in for the Queen at the Maundy service, there were no logistical obstacles in the way.

The publication reports that if there is to be a reconciliation between Harry and his family, meeting with his father is the crucial first step, however, it's believed the meeting between Harry, Meghan and Charles only lasted for 15 minutes.

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Camilla is reported to have joined the meeting halfway through.

Charles is believed to be very worried about Harry's upcoming memoirs, which he fears will make the rift between them worse.

A source told the Daily Mail's Richard Kay, "He loves his son and he has been broken-hearted by everything that has taken place, although he fears history repeating itself with Harry just as it did with Princess Diana. But he also wants to keep the door open and keep talking, something he still regrets not doing with Diana."

After speaking with Charles, Harry and Meghan then went to the Queen's private apartment and spoke with her. It's believed the atmosphere was much lighter there than with Charles.

A source told the publication that Harry has always been able to make Her Majesty laugh and "she loves that about him".

"To this day whenever she hears that Harry is on the phone her eyes light up," they said.

Meanwhile, this is the first time former Suits star Meghan has returned to the UK since she and Harry left royal life and sat down for that explosive Oprah interview. Although she’s said that she often speaks to the Queen over the phone, Meghan hadn't seen the monarch since a Commonwealth Day service back in March 2020.

Prince William noticeably absent

Prince William's absence was noted with some believing Harry may have chosen to fly into the UK while his brother was on a family ski trip.

William has been seen as Harry's biggest critic since he stepped down as a senior royal.

The brothers haven't seen each other since they unveiled a statue of their mother outside Kensington Palace last July.

A friend of the Duke of Cambridge revealed he doesn't like talking about his brother, adding it "gives him a headache".

It's understood Harry and Meghan arrived in the UK on Wednesday after an overnight flight from British Airways from Los Angeles. It's believed their children Archie, two, and Lilibet, ten months, did not come for the journey.

Harry's visit to the Queen is being seen as an olive branch after he failed to attend Prince Philip's memorial due to his ongoing legal row over his security.

Harry and Meghan seen for first time in the Netherlands

Harry and Meghan arrived to cheers and applause at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands on Friday.

The couple was granted 'VVIP' status by local authorities and were given top-level protection for the visit.

The Duke and Duchess were followed by their Netflix film crew the entire time with some fearing their visit to the UK was simply to please their American producers.

Netflix is making a documentary about the Games, called Heart of Invictus, and will be the first documentary to be co-produced between Netflix and Harry and Meghan's own company, Archewell Productions.

Harry wore a navy blue suit for the occasion, while Meghan looked chic in a white pantsuit.

"She looks wonderful and it's so nice to see her smiling so much," one person said at the event.

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