Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh was pictured leaving Clarence House on Wednesday shortly before Prince Harry arrived for a rare private meeting with King Charles.
The visit came 24 hours after Sophie returned from a five-day trip to Alberta, Canada, where she attended the Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament and carried out engagements focused on British-Canadian links and charity work.
In photographs taken in central London, Sophie sat in the front passenger seat of a navy Audi as it pulled away from the King’s residence.
Rain dotted the car’s windscreen while her driver, dressed in a dark suit, navigated through the gates.
King Charles holds crunch talks with Duchess of Edinburgh before seeing Prince Harry
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Prince Harry arrived shortly after at Clarence House around 5.20pm for tea with his father, marking the first time the pair had seen each other since February 2024.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the private meeting but said no further details would be provided. A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex gave the same brief account, saying only that father and son met for tea.
Earlier in the day, Harry visited Imperial College London’s Centre for Blast Injury Studies, where he met researchers and greeted a small crowd outside.
As he left, he apologised for leaving quickly, telling onlookers: “I have to go, I’m so late… I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go. Nice to meet you guys.”
The Duchess of Edinburgh pictured departing Clarence House
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After meeting with the King, Harry attended a reception in London for supporters of the Invictus Games-style competition for veterans and wounded or sick armed forces personnel.
Asked how his father was, he replied: “Yes, he’s great, thank you.”
The encounter was significant for the Royal Family. It was their first in-person meeting since Harry flew to the UK in February last year after Buckingham Palace revealed the King was undergoing cancer treatment.
Charles, 76, has since resumed public duties while continuing care.
Prince Harry pictured arriving at Clarence House to see the King
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King Charles arriving back at Clarence House from Balmoral
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Meanwhile, the Duchess, 60, landed in Britain on September 9 after a programme in Alberta that highlighted British-Canadian business and charitable partnerships.
Her engagements, which began on September 4, included events linked to equestrian sport and community projects.
Harry’s unannounced stop at Clarence House followed a familiar pattern of brief, tightly managed visits to the UK since he stepped back from royal duties and moved to California in 2020.
His visit this week was tied to charity and patronage-related events. Still, the short meeting with his father drew immediate attention because of the strained relationship between Harry and other senior royals in recent years.