Prince Harry returns to London on Monday for a children’s charity gala, reigniting speculation about whether the estranged royal will finally meet with his father, King Charles III, after years of family tensions.

The Duke of Sussex’s last encounter with the monarch was a brief meeting at Clarence House in February 2024, when Harry flew from California after learning of his father’s cancer diagnosis. The prince stayed only one night in a London hotel before returning to the United States.

King Charles, now 76, continues regular treatments for his undisclosed form of cancer. Despite Harry’s three subsequent trips to the UK, father and son have not met, even after the prince’s emotional public appeal in May.

“I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry told the BBC, adding tearfully: “I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me… but it would be nice to reconcile.”

Recent developments suggest the royal message may have resonated. On 9 July, the king’s press secretary Tobyn Andreae met privately with Harry’s new head of communications Meredith Maines in London. The meeting, photographed and published in the Mail on Sunday, has fueled speculation about potential reconciliation efforts.

According to the Mirror newspaper, the discussions may pave the way for “a simple face-to-face conversation between a father and his son.”

Royal historian Ed Owens believes reunion is possible.

“I think reconciliation is on the cards,” Owens told AFP. “Buckingham Palace and the king have recognised that it is in the king’s interest as a public figure to look to reconcile with his son.”

Such a meeting would help “knit back together this very fragmented family which for too long with its various tabloid stories, gossip, and scandal has distracted” from the king’s reign, he added.

Harry will attend Monday night’s WellChild charity awards ceremony, recognising seriously ill children’s “remarkable resilience and heroic qualities.” His spokesman confirmed several additional engagements throughout the week.

King Charles is scheduled to attend the traditional Highland Games near Balmoral Castle on Saturday.

“The big question is, if the king and Prince Harry meet up, where would it be?” asked Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine.

The royal family remains shaken by revelations in Harry’s memoir “Spare” and his explosive Oprah Winfrey interview, which included allegations of racist comments by unnamed relatives.

Prince William, heir to the throne, was particularly angered by criticisms of himself and his wife, Princess Catherine.

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Harry acknowledged to the BBC that “some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course they will never forgive me for lots of things.”

Meghan has not returned to Britain since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022. The couple’s children – Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4 – last visited the UK for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams suggested any meeting would occur away from public scrutiny and represent merely “the first steps” in potential reconciliation.

However, he emphasized that Prince William remains completely opposed to welcoming Harry back into the family fold.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from royal duties in 2020, relocating to California with their young family in pursuit of financial independence and privacy.