King Charles is returning to Buckingham Palace for the first time since reportedly meeting Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children at Highgrove House earlier this month.
The King and Queen Camilla are said to have welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to the monarch’s Gloucestershire residence on July 10.
The private gathering reportedly marked Charles’s first meeting with Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, since 2022. A palace source described it as a personal family occasion and said no photographs, videos or further details would be released.
The reunion followed reported discussions between Harry and Buckingham Palace over his security arrangements and accommodation. The duke had returned to Britain for several charity engagements and a court judgment relating to his privacy case against the British media.
Royal correspondent Emily Ferguson has since shared details of the King’s return to official duties. According to Ferguson, Charles is preparing to welcome the fourth prime minister of his reign, despite having been on the throne for less than four years.
“The King is preparing to welcome the fourth Prime Minister of his reign today,” she wrote.
Ferguson said Charles would travel from Highgrove to Buckingham Palace, where he would first meet Sir Keir Starmer and formally accept his resignation.
Andy Burnham would then be invited to “kiss hands,” the traditional ceremony during which the monarch asks a new prime minister to form a government in his name.
Following the meetings at Buckingham Palace, the King is expected to travel to Cambridgeshire for a series of official engagements.
