Prince Harry reportedly won’t be at his father King Charles III ’s 75th birthday celebration. The Duke of Sussex’s spokesperson told The Messenger that there has been “no contact regarding an invitation” to the monarch’s upcoming birthday.
The Sunday Times previously reported that His Majesty will celebrate his birthday on Nov. 14 with a party with close family and friends. The outlet noted that it was “understood” that King Charles had invited Harry to the gathering, but that the Duke would not be “making the trip from California.”
However, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex has since told The Messenger, “In response to UK media headlines, there has been no contact regarding an invitation to His Majesty’s upcoming birthday,” adding, “It is disappointing the Sunday Times has misreported this story.” Meanwhile, a source told The Messenger that the palace “never reached out.”
Harry, who stepped down as a working member of the royal family in 2020, resides in Montecito, California with his wife Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The Duke returned to the UK in May for the coronation of his father, and again in September for the WellChild Awards.
According to The Sunday Times, Harry “turned down the offer to spend some time with his father at Balmoral while he was visiting the UK for a charity event at the time of the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death” in September.
In an interview that aired in January, ahead of the release of his memoir Spare, Harry revealed to Anderson Cooper that he and his father had not “spoken for quite a while.” Although they were not speaking at the time, the Duke admitted that he looks forward to having a relationship with his brother and father. “I really look forward to having that family element back,” he said. “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.”
King Charles expressed his love for his second son and daughter-in-law Meghan last year during his first speech as monarch. In his address, the King said, “I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”