Prince Harry to visit King Charles following his father's cancer diagnosis
Prince Harry will be going home to see his father, King Charles III, after the British monarch was diagnosed with cancer.
The Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed the news to USA TODAY on Monday that Harry plans to travel to London in the coming days and that he has spoken to his father about his diagnosis.
The news comes after Buckingham Palace on Monday confirmed that Charles was diagnosed with "a form of cancer." He was recently hospitalized and underwent a procedure for benign prostate enlargement, and the cancer was identified via diagnostic tests after a "separate issue of concern was noted."
"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual."
More: King Charles has cancer and we don’t know what kind. How we talk about it matters.
The Palace also said Charles "remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."
Harry previously returned to England in September 2023, when he attended an awards ceremony for the charity WellChild. At the time, he paid tribute to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to mark the anniversary of her death.
"As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away," Harry said. "As you also probably know, she would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her. And that's precisely why I know exactly one year on that she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we're together continuing to spotlight such an incredible community."
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In May 2023, Harry attended his father King Charles III's coronation, although after the ceremony, he did not join his family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. His wife, Meghan Markle, stayed in California, where they live with their children. The two announced they would step back from the British royal family in 2020 and later leveled allegations of racism in the family.
Harry discussed his relationship with the royal family in his memoir "Spare," published in January 2023, accusing them of providing unflattering information about other members to the press in exchange for positive coverage. He also recalled his father and brother, Prince William, saying didn't know why he left.
"If they didn't know why I'd left, maybe they just didn't know me," he wrote. "At all. And maybe they never really did. … How can I tell them? I can't. It would take too long. Besides, they're clearly not in the right frame of mind to listen. Not now, anyway. Not today."
In an interview with ITV in 2023, Harry said he hoped to reconcile with Charles and William after their rift but alleged that "they've shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile."
But Harry also told 60 Minutes, "I look forward to having a relationship with my brother. I look forward to having a relationship with my father and other members of my family."
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Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Erin Jensen, Naledi Ushe
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Harry to visit King Charles after his father's cancer diagnosis