King Charles Hosts First Palace Garden Party Miles Away From Prince Harry’s Invictus Event
King Charles is hosting Buckingham Palace's first garden party of the year, and on the very day his son, Prince Harry, is back in London to honor his beloved Invictus Games.
King Charles and Queen Camilla officially kicked off the first garden party of 2024 at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, March 8, continuing a longstanding royal tradition dating back to the 1860s.
At the same time, and just a few miles down the road, the monarch's son, Prince Harry, is attending an Invictus Games 10th anniversary service at St. Paul's Cathedral. The Duke of Sussex founded the Paralympic-style competition for veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces in 2014.
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Prince Harry confirmed King Charles was too busy to meet with his son during his U.K. visit.
"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," a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex told The Telegraph.
"The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon," the spokesperson continued.
Prince Harry will reportedly not spend any time with his estranged brother, Prince William, either. Recently, a source exclusively told Us Weekly for the publication's latest cover story said that the "Duke and Duchess want to be super respectful" of the Prince and Princess of Wales' request for space and privacy, adding that "don’t want to add stress to the situation" following Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis.
“If Will and Kate want their space, Meghan and Harry will give it to them," the source added.
After it was announced that Prince Harry and King Charles would not spend any time together during the Duke of Sussex's recent trip, royal expert Jennie Bond told OK! that it's safe to assume "that their relationship is terminally damaged."
"In a sensible world, Harry would stay with his dad at Clarence House—they could have cozy chats in perfect privacy and with all the security Harry wants," Bond told the publication.
