Prince Charles has offered an olive branch to his son Harry by inviting his family to stay with him when they next visit the UK, royal sources have revealed.
The Prince of Wales has expressed his firm wish to spend quality time with his grandchildren, having not seen Archie since he was six months old and not ever meeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby daughter, Lilibet Diana, who was born in June.
The offer of bringing the family together for the first time since Harry and his wife Meghan decided to quit their royal roles and set up home in California was made by the heir in the lead up to Christmas, it is understood.
But Charles’s good natured plan, in an attempt to heal the rift between him and his son, has been thrown into doubt after Harry suggested a return would come at “too great a personal risk” due to his security situation.
It was thought that Harry and Meghan would certainly make an effort to attend events to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June.
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Harry is understood to have told family members he would attend a memorial service for his late grandfather Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey, which is planned for April.
However, it has emerged that the Duke of Sussex claims he is “unable to return home” after a decision following his exit from the royal family stripped him of his right to personal security provided by the Met Police.
Harry, 37, has since decided to sue the British government by applying for a judicial review against the decision, which could see him face the Home Office at the court.
Royal sources have confirmed the Prince of Wales has held several “good natured and enjoyable” video calls with his son, Meghan and the children during the past few months.
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One source said: “The Prince of Wales has been saddened that he hasn’t had the opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren, which he really does miss.
“He is a fantastic grandfather and loves playing the role immensely and it’s certainly fair to say he feels there is something missing from his life without the ability to get to know Harry’s children.
“This is something he is hoping to remedy which is why he made the gesture for Harry, Meghan and the children to stay with him if they wanted to, whenever they may come home for a period of time.
“In the meantime there has been a series of good natured and enjoyable calls between them all which is something the prince very much looks forward to.”
In the calls Charles, 73, has made it clear to his son of his wish to spend quality time with two-year-old Archie and seven-month-old baby Lilibet.
Harry’s relationship with his family is understood to have been fractured following his exit from The Firm in 2020, and subsequent decision last year to appear with Meghan, 40, in a tell-all interview with US chat show queen Oprah Winfrey.
The couple beamoned their treatment by the family, with Harry accusing his father of cutting him off financially and further claiming a senior member of the family made racist remarks about the colour of his unborn children’s skin.
Sources close to Charles have told The Mirror that despite reports of the two not speaking, Charles and Harry have been on “a journey of rediscovery” in terms of their relationship.
One said: “The Prince of Wales has spoken to his son frequently in recent months.
"He loves him very much, as he does both his children, and he looks forward to them being able to spend time together in the near future.”
Harry and Meghan, now live in an £11million mansion in the millionaires’ playground of Montecito, California, have not spent any time out of the United States since their move in 2020.
Harry is however also expected to attend the Invictus Games, which he founded, in The Hague, the Netherlands, in April.
Since their exit from the family they have signed deals worth an estimated £100million with streaming giants Netflix and Spotify, with the capability to earn hundreds of millions of dollars having become “financially independent”.
Clarence House were approached and declined to comment on private family matters.
