Prince Harry was reportedly blocked by Buckingham Palace aides from joining his father King Charles at Sandringham.
The 39-year-old flew to London from Los Angeles earlier this month after he was informed by the monarch in a private phone call about his cancer diagnosis. While Charles was said to be overwhelmed by the sweet gesture from his youngest son, controversy has surrounded the Duke of Sussex after he spoke about the meeting in a TV interview with ABC News a few days later.
Harry flew into London to be by his father’s side after news of his cancer diagnosis broke, and he travelled without his wife Meghan Markle, who reportedly supported his decision to see his father in the last-minute transatlantic dash. However, his meeting with Charles lasted only around 30-45 minutes, and took place at Clarence House in London, before the monarch jetted off to the royal estate in Norfolk to relax after beginning cancer treatment.
READ MORE: Prince Harry shows signs he'll be spending more time in UK after King's cancer diagnosis
According to The Sun, Harry’s face-to-face meeting with his father was cut short by desperate palace aides who stopped him from joining Charles at Sandringham with Camilla. He spent less than 26 hours in the UK, after it emerged he had reportedly been stopped from staying overnight at Clarence House, and instructed to stay in a hotel in London instead. “The fear was that if he went to Sandringham they would never get rid of him,” the source claimed.
Meghan Markle 'to unleash her own memoirs' as Prince Harry's drops next weekIt was palace aides who reportedly prevented Harry from spending more time with his father after his cancer diagnosis, as they were surprised by the Duke’s last-minute decision to fly over from Los Angeles. While he wanted to show support for Charles, the prince was instead restricted to just 30 minutes at Clarence House.
The King was spotted leaving Clarence House with Camilla following the brief reunion with his son and was photographed looking emotional as he smiled and waved at the cameras. Royal fans are hopeful that the meeting between Harry and his father marks a step in the right direction for the prince to reconcile with his estranged family, however, he did not visit his brother Prince William and sister-in-law Kate Middleton, who is recovering after major abdominal surgery.
Just a few days after returning from London, Harry spoke openly about his family during a TV interview with ABC News, and said he hoped to be back in London again soon. “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 explained.