Prince Harry has returned to the UK to mark an important celebration, but he won't be seeing his father King Charles while he is back.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed that "It, unfortunately, will not be possible due to His Majesty's full programme. The Duke of course is understanding of his father's diary of commitments and various other priorities." However, there was still a sign that relations between the father and son had thawed somewhat, with the spokesperson adding that Harry "hopes to see [Charles] soon".
Harry has been open about the fact that his relationship with Charles and William has been strained in recent years. The last time he saw his father was shortly after the monarch had been diagnosed with cancer when he rushed back to see him.
The Duke of Sussex has also acknowledged that after stepping back from life as a working royal, he lost some long-standing friends in the process, admitting in his Netflix documentary "I miss the UK. I miss my friends… I lost a few friends as part of this process."
Harry's core group of friends in the UK (Netflix)The Mirror takes a look at who is part of Harry's inner circle in the UK, from his "surrogate mum" and "second dad" to life-altering friendships.
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Duke of Westminster
One of the richest men in the UK, Hugh Grovesnor the Duke of Westminster, is friends with both William and Harry, and they've known each other for years. Hugh is due to get married this summer - and some reports say Harry hasn't been invited, because the groom is concerned that any royal drama might "overshadow" the big day for his bride-to-be Olivia Henson.
Hugh is friends with both William and Harry (PA)Sources said to the Sunday Times: "'Hugh is one of very few close friends of William and Harry's who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both. He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realises it's unlikely to happen before the wedding.
"He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn't want any awkwardness."
JJ Chalmers
Prince Harry and JJ Chalmers met when Harry was a captain in the Army, and JJ had suffered life-changing injuries while serving in the Royal Marines in Afghanistan. JJ has credited Harry as being one of the "key people" who helped him recover from his injury and turn his life around, through the Invictus Games, and the two men are always quick to support one another.
In 2020, when JJ took part in Strictly Come Dancing, Harry sent a video message of support, "When I first met JJ he was a shell of himself but then to see you shine through Invictus and to be yourself again, that was the start of an amazing journey."
JJ and Harry have a 'life-changing' friendship (Getty Images for the Invictus Ga)JJ is, for his part, is always quick to praise the Duke of Sussex, telling the Big Issue in 2022, "Harry's a friend of mine and someone I dearly love and wish the best for. I wouldn't be stood here talking to you if it wasn't for him."
He continued: "Not to lay all of it at his feet, but he's one of the key people who created one of the key catalysts in my recovery. For that, I'll be forever grateful."
Charlie and Thomas von Straubenzee
Brothers Charlie and Thomas von Straubenzee are friends with both William and Harry and attended the same prep school as the royals, and an early tragedy in their life tied the two sets of brothers together for life. In 2002, aged only 18 their brother - and Harry's close friend - Henry died in a tragic car accident. In 2009, William and Harry jointly became patrons of a memorial fund set up in Henry's name.
Thomas Straubenzee is a long time pal of William and Harry (Getty Images)Charlie is one of Prince Archie's godparents and Harry is said to be godfather to Charlie's daughter, who also reportedly gave a speech at Harry's wedding reception in 2018
Mark 'Marko' Dyer
Mark 'Marko' Dyer played a large role in Harry's memoir Spare, as Harry describes what an important relationship he has shared over the years with the former royal aide. Marko attended his passing out parade at Sandhurst and asked Harry to be godfather to his son Jasper, something Harry called a "deep honour" in his memoir.
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Prince Harry alongside former Royal Equerry and 'second dad' Mark Dyer (AFP via Getty Images)A longstanding mentor to Harry, he has often been dubbed a "second dad" to him, and Harry has called him a "dear friend".
Tiggy Pettifer
Tiggy Pettifer has been a core figure in Harry's life since he was a child when she worked as his nanny. Then known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke, she helped play an important role in raising both Harry and William and has been seen supporting Harry at landmark events in his adulthood - like his graduation from Sandhurst.
William and Harry with their nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke in 1994 at Balmoral (Getty Images)She is one of Prince Archie's godparents, and Harry is also godfather to her son Tom. In his memoir Spare, Harry discussed how Tiggy became a "surrogate mum" for him and his brother, and how their bond was so close that after he sat down with Oprah for his now-infamous interview in 2021, she "chastised" him for discussing his family negatively on the public stage.
Adam Bidwell
Stockbroker Adam Bidwell was an usher at Meghan and Harry's 2018 wedding, and has been a core part of Harry's friendship circle for a long time. He has worked as an ambassador for Sentebale, one of Harry's charities, and was seen accompanying Meghan to a polo match in 2019, when Archie was very young.
Charlie Gilkes
Charlie Gilkes is a longstanding friend of William and Harry and co-founded the Inception Group, which owns nightclub Bunga Bunga - per Tatler - and was pictured at Harry's wedding in the thick of things with his closest friends, a snap that was revealed in the couple's Netflix documentary.
Nightclub owner Charlie Gilkes attended Harry's wedding (Nick Harvey/REX/Shutterstock)Jack Mann
Jack and Harry both attended Sandhurst, and Jack went on to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan in the Blues and Royals. Reportedly he took on the role of "unofficial best man" at Harry's 2018 wedding.
Jack Mann is a close friend of Harry's (Jabpromotions/REX/Shutterstock)Tom Inskip
Tom 'Skippy' Inskip has been a longstanding friend of Harry's since they both attended Eton College together, and his father is said to have been field master at one of King Charles's preferred hunts. During Harry's party days, Tom was a regular fixture by his side, but the royal book Finding Freedom - co-written by Omid Scobie - claimed that the pair had a falling out when Tom advised Harry to move slowly with Meghan and not rush into getting married, something that the Duke didn't appreciate. Despite this, the pair are reported to have made up since.
Tom Inskip and Harry are longstanding friends (Getty Images)Lord Vivian
The Mail reports that Lord Vivian - a PR expert - was so much part of Harry and Meghan's inner circle that he even made the cut to Prince Archie's christening, and he was first introduced to Harry by his "second dad" Marko Dyer. The PR guru also has gone with Harry on some of his trips to Botswana, a place that became "sacred" to Harry over the years. In his memoir Spare the Duke of Sussex described the freedom he experienced in the country and how important his time there was to him - as he was able to just be "Spike" rather than known for his royal status.
Henry Warhurst
Henry Warhust attended Harry's wedding in 2018, and is married to the niece of the Duke's "surrogate mum" Tiggy Pettifer - Tamara Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax. It is understood that Tamara and Meghan became fast friends back in 2019, creating another connection between the two couples.
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