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- Prince Harry returned to the U.K. to attend charity events and pay tribute to his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth on the third anniversary of her death
- Developments in recent months have led to speculation that Harry could reunite with his estranged father, King Charles, during his visit
- King Charles and Queen Camilla marked the anniversary of the late monarch’s death and the King’s accession privately at Balmoral Castle
As Prince Harry makes his return to the U.K. for a busy week of appearances, King Charles is in Scotland to mark the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth‘s death.
PEOPLE confirmed on Monday, Sept. 8, that the King and Queen Camilla were spending the third anniversary of the late Queen’s death and his accession day at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
The castle, a favored summer retreat of the royal family, was the location of Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022. The late monarch was joined by family members throughout the day before officially passing away just after 3 p.m. local time, becoming the first monarch to die in Scotland since James V in 1542.
The day is also now the anniversary of Accession Day, as King Charles, 76, officially became King at the moment of his mother’s death, even though his coronation took place months later, on May 6, 2023.
The day prior to the anniversary, the King and Queen were joined by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer for church services at nearby Crathie Kirk, where prayers were said to mark Accession Day, as well as for the late Katherine, Duchess of Kent, who died on Sept. 4.
On Sept. 6, the King and Queen attended the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering, an annual exhibition of sport and Scottish tradition. The couple dressed for the occasion, with the King wearing a kilt and the Queen sporting an outfit with green tartan; however, they both also wore symbols of mourning for the Duchess of Kent. King Charles wore a black tie to mourn the wife of his late mother’s cousin, while Queen Camilla wore a black armband.
Prince Harry, 40, is in the U.K. this week for the first time since April 2025, marking his grandmother’s anniversary and attending several events. On Monday, he will attend the WellChild Awards in London, honoring seriously ill children. Then he will travel to Nottingham to announce a major donation to Children in Need and highlight local youth programs.
On Monday, the Duke of Sussex also paid tribute to his late grandmother as he visited the burial place of Queen Elizabeth at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor to pay his respects privately and lay a wreath of flowers, a spokesperson for the duke confirmed to PEOPLE.
Though Harry has been estranged from his father and his brother, Prince William, in the years since he stepped back from royal life and moved his family to California, there have been indications in recent months that tensions have been thawing between him and the King, leading some to speculate that they might reunite while Harry is across the pond.
It is believed that the father and son have not seen one another since February 2024, when Harry made a brief visit to London following the King’s cancer diagnosis. His previous trips to the U.K., including for the Invictus Games’ 10th anniversary in June 2024 and last year’s WellChild Awards, did not include a reunion.
Meanwhile, things remain far frostier between Harry and William. The brothers are not expeected to meet during Harry’s time in the U.K. as they carry out a conflicting schedule of appearances.
On Monday, William, 43, was joined by his wife Kate Middleton, 43, for a visit to the Women’s Institute in Sunningdale, Berkshire.
The outing was especially poignant given the meaningful day. Queen Elizabeth was an enthusiastic member of the WI for 80 years and served as its president from 2003 until her death.
King Charles and Queen Camilla Share Special Tribute to Queen Elizabeth 3 Years After Her Death
It’s hard to believe but today (8 September 2025) marks a whole three years since Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96—just days after being photographed meeting the then-Prime Minister, Liz Truss.
Now, paying tribute to his mother and her mother-in-law, King Charles and Queen Camilla have shared a special post in honor of Elizabeth on their social media.
Alongside an image of the late Queen looking resplendent in a blue outfit, complete with her signature matching hat and some historic jewelry (this time around a sapphire and pearl brooch), the King and Queen Consort wrote a simple message: “Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.”
Supporters of the royals and the late Queen took to the comments to share their condolences and memories of Her Majesty in response, with one writing, “Can’t believe it’s 3 years 😢.”
Another remarked that they remembered Queen Elizabeth II “as such an inspiring woman 🥹💙;” while a third said, “Still remember hearing the news. It felt the world stopped for a moment.”
The anniversary of the Queen’s death coincides with Prince Harry returning to the UK for a four-day visit, sparking hopes of a reconciliation between him and the other royals.
During this trip, the Prince is set to attend the WellChild Awards in London, a charity supporting unwell children and their families, for which he has been a patron for 17 years, and announce a substantial donation to Children in Need while in Nottingham.
It’s hoped that he may also spend time with his father and brother, Prince William, but nothing has been formally confirmed on that front.
Prince William and Prince Harry paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth on the 3rd anniversary of her death, but not together
- Prince William and Prince Harry both marked the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death on Monday.
- William visited the National Federation of Women’s Institutes in Sunningdale, England.
- Harry laid a wreath at her burial place at Windsor Castle, just over seven miles from his brother.
Prince William and Prince Harry are remembering their grandmother on the third anniversary of her death — but not together.
Monday marks three years since Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was 96.
To acknowledge the anniversary, William and Kate Middleton visited the Women’s Institute in Sunningdale, England, an organization that had a decadeslong relationship with the late queen.
Queen Elizabeth became a member of the organization in 1943, before she ascended the throne, according to the WI’s website. She became president of WI Sandringham in 2003, of which her mother, Queen Mary, had been the president before her.
William and Kate spent time with current WI members during their visit, shaking hands and sharing tea. ← who can we attribute this to?
Meanwhile, Prince Harry was also in the United Kingdom on the anniversary of his grandmother’s death, as he is set to attend the WellChild Awards Monday evening. The Duke of Sussex attends the ceremony annually as a patron of the charity, which supports youth with medical problems and their caregivers.
Ahead of the event, Harry visited Queen Elizabeth’s burial place at Windsor Castle and laid a wreath of flowers in her memory.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed the visit to Business Insider.
The Women’s Institute in Sunningdale and Windsor Castle are just over 7 miles apart by car, but the gulf between William and Harry’s relationship is wide.
The brothers have been strained since Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior royals in 2020. Their relationship fractured further following Harry and Meghan’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and the release of Harry’s 2023 memoir, “Spare.”
The brothers were last publicly in the same location at King Charles’ coronation in May 2023, though they didn’t appear to speak at the event. Harry and William also reportedly didn’t see each other when the Duke of Sussex visited King Charles following his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, according to the BBC.
Prince Harry’s feud with Prince William leaves King Charles caught in royal crossfire: experts
King Charles is said to be caught between his two sons in a painful, ongoing family feud.
Prince Harry, the monarch’s younger son, will be in London on Sept. 8, raising speculation that he could meet with his father. Fox News Digital reached out to Archewell and Buckingham Palace for comment.
The Duke of Sussex has been estranged from his family since he made his royal exit in 2020 and moved to America.
“King Charles is battling cancer,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “The very public royal rift has been a source of grief for him. It has meant that he has not seen his grandchildren for years. Harry and his father are not speaking… Obviously, reconciliation, especially when illness is involved, is highly desirable. But for it to work, there must be mutual trust.”
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital there’s one royal who has no desire to reconnect with Harry – his elder brother, Prince William. According to sources, the brothers are not on speaking terms.
“There have been many reports in the British press that William is still extremely angry with Harry and does not want his father softening his position by meeting with him or allowing contact,” said Pelham Turner. “[It is understood] that King Charles feels it is his Christian duty to welcome Harry, Meghan Markle and their family back into the fold.”
“I had a conversation with a member of a Middle Eastern royal family recently who told me King Charles is more powerful and stronger these days than people understand,” said Pelham Turner. “He will make his own decisions on the future of the monarchy, although there were some allegations about Meghan in the past which may worry him. Personally, I want to see unity.”
Harry will be in the U.K. on the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, attending the annual WellChild Awards. The event highlights his support for children battling long-term health challenges and the families who care for them.
Harry’s stay in London gives him a chance to see his father, 76. It’s believed the king will be at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the queen died in 2022.
“The anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death will weigh heavily on the king’s mind right now, and any last promises he may have made to her in those final hours,” said Pelham Turner. “I feel that this could be a very good time emotionally for the king to be reunited with Harry and heal the wounds between them.”
“Prince William will also be reminded of his brother’s poor behavior, which sadly impacted and burdened his beloved grandmother’s last few years of her life,” added British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard.
“Prince William will struggle to ever forgive Harry,” Chard added.
WATCH: PRINCE WILLIAM’S MISTRUST OF MEGHAN MARKLE STALLS PEACE WITH PRINCE HARRY: AUTHOR
Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his wife Meghan stepped back as senior royals in 2020. At the time, they cited the unbearable intrusions of the British press and the lack of support from the palace as their reasons for the move.
After the couple settled in California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harry’s 2023 memoir “Spare,” which revealed embarrassing details about the House of Windsor and exposed his sibling rivalry with William, worsened tensions.
In May, the 40-year-old told the BBC he wants to reconcile with his family but the king would not speak to him.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” he said at the time. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
“None of my contacts can confirm whether they’ll meet,” said Chard. “It would be a positive step for father and son to have some quiet time behind closed doors. Even better if the king could enjoy his Sussex grandchildren. But… King Charles will only be reminded of the unwanted drama and mistrust issues that circle Prince Harry. Still, Prince Harry could easily travel under the radar to Scotland to meet his father. The public needn’t know.”
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital that the only senior royal who would be willing to meet with Harry privately is Charles. However, it would be a “lose-lose situation” between “his boys.”
“If the king concedes to a meeting with Harry, he risks alienating Prince William,” Fordwich warned. “If he doesn’t, he will deepen the rift with Harry and risk more backlash from his son, who was already upset last time when the king had ‘other priorities.’”
There was hope earlier this year that the king was ready to have peace talks with his son.
In July, the U.K.’s Daily Mail reported that Harry quietly extended an olive branch by offering to share his official schedule of engagements. The outlet said this was meant to ease tensions with the king.
The outlet also reported that Harry’s aides had a private meeting with the king’s communications secretary in London. Representatives for Buckingham Palace and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment at the time.
William’s reps were noticeably absent from the so-called “peace summit” and the future king’s team was reportedly not notified of the secret meeting.
“Prince William [insists] that Harry can’t be trusted,” Fordwich claimed. “The family is rightly concerned regarding privacy and the risks of conducting any conversations with Harry that are later leaked to the press… They’re also wary of Harry’s motive and the likely fallout from any unguarded discussions.”
“Communication lines between Harry’s team and the king’s were re-opened,” Fordwich shared. “However, all working with and for the family agree it’s going to be a lengthy process with trust being beyond difficult to rebuild.”
Charles and Harry have not met in person since Feb. 2024. They met days after Buckingham Palace announced Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.
Last May, Harry was in London for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, while the king hosted an event just miles away. In August, Harry returned for the funeral of his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, but he and William remained apart.
Royal experts agree it will take time for Harry’s relationship with the royals to heal. As the king continues to prioritize his health, he may avoid stepping into the middle of his sons’ ongoing war of silence.
“The only way reconciliation will work is if the differences are resolved privately,” said Fitzwilliams. “Then, trust can slowly be built. The Sussexes’ relationship with the media does not inspire trust… While reconciliation is always desirable, it just seems to be a long way off.”
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