King Charles delayed a helicopter flight to Sandringham just to meet Prince Harry, reports have claimed. This comes after Charles’ recent cancer diagnosis. Harry travelled to London after learning about his father’s illness, and the duo had a 30-minute private meeting at Clarence House.
After the meeting, Charles and Queen Camilla were seen publicly for the first time since the announcement of his diagnosis. The King and Queen were reportedly spotted before they caught a helicopter from Buckingham Palace to Sandringham Palace.
Charles is said to have kept the chopper waiting in a bid to spend time with Harry – a rare move considering the reported rift between them. According to insiders, the meeting, although brief, was a “cause for optimism”. What the duo discussed during the meeting remains unclear.
This is the first time Charles and Harry met after Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022. It was also the first time the Duke of Sussex was seen at a family event since the Coronation.
“Charles always keeps a tight schedule and had a planned itinerary to leave London to rest and recuperate in Norfolk. He is very fastidious about time-keeping but it was significant that he delayed the flight to Sandringham when he knew Harry was visiting,” an insider told The Sun.
“After all, the Duke of Sussex had flown all the way from California at short notice and he accepted the gesture. There is cause for optimism,” the insider added.
Meghan Markle did not attend the meeting with Harry. She is said to have remained at their Montecito, California home.
Prince William was not seen at the meeting, keeping hopes to see a reunion between the two brothers low, according to insiders. William, however, broke his silence about Charles’ diagnosis at a fundraising dinner for London’s Air Ambulance Charity.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you also for the kind of messages of support for Catherine and my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all,” William said inside the podium. “The past few weeks have a rather medical focus, so I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all.”
