Prince Harry Unable to Meet with Dad King Charles During U.K. Visit Due to Monarch's 'Full' Schedule

Prince Harry will not meet with his father King Charles during his trip to the U.K., PEOPLE confirms.

A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex, 39, says, "In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program. The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon."

King Charles, 75, recently resumed public royal duties after working mainly behind the scenes for several months amid his cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Prince Harry returned to his home country for celebrations surrounding the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, which had its inaugural competition for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans 10 years ago in London. The anniversary is being marked with a panel on Tuesday and a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday, where Harry will give a reading and HomelandactorDamian Lewiswill recite theInvictus poem. (The writer of the poem, William Henley, is commemorated with a memorial bust in the Crypt of the cathedral.)

The Duke of Sussex most recently visited the U.K. in February following the news of King Charles' cancer diagnosis. Prince Harry flew from California to see his father at Clarence House in London, where they had a brief private meeting.

A royal source said there were "no plans" for brothers Prince Harry and Prince William to get together while the Duke of Sussex was in the U.K. in February. At the time, Kate Middleton was recuperating from her Januaryabdominal surgery. On March 22, the Princess of Wales revealed that post-operative tests from the procedure "found cancer had been present" and she had started chemotherapy.

Speaking about the reunion with his father on Good Morning America shortly after, Prince Harry was aske -

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d how he first learned about the monarch's cancer news. He replied, "I spoke to him. I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could."

"Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that," Harry said in the interview.

Regarding his outlook on the King's health, Prince Harry said, "That stays between me and him."

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As for whether King Charles' diagnosis could have a "reunifying effect" on the royal family, Harry, who was connecting with Invictus Games competitors and their families in Canada at the Winter Training Camp at the time, said: "Absolutely. Yeah, I'm sure. Throughout all these families, I see it on a day-to-day basis, the strength of the family unit coming together."

"I have my own family, as we all do," he continued. "My family and my life in California is as it is. I've got other trips planned that would take me through the U.K. or back to the U.K., so I'll stop in and see my family as much as I can."

Prince Harry andMeghan Markle moved to her home state of California after they stepped back as working members of the royal family in 2020 and ultimately settled in Montecito. Although Prince Harry has returned to the U.K. on several occasions, including for charity events and court cases he's pursuing, he rarely reunites with King Charles or other family members.

Following his trip to the U.K., Prince Harry and Meghan will visit Nigeria. PEOPLE previously confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have accepted an invitation to visit the African country next month on behalf of its Chief of Defense Staff, the highest-ranking military official.

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