King Charles III hosted Prince Harry and his family at Highgrove House on Friday, the first meeting in years as they seek to mend a rift that began when Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2018. The gathering included King Charles, Queen Camilla, and their children, Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (5). Buckingham Palace confirmed the meeting took place at the king’s country estate west of London. Harry arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday for a series of charity engagements. Earlier in the week, palace officials invited Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace but withdrew the invitation after he did not respond promptly. The monarch’s schedule is set years in advance, and the timing aligned with the children’s school calendar. The Duke of Sussex has said he wants to reconcile with his father, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer. He previously met Charles for tea in September during a brief London visit, the first time they had seen each other in over a year. Harry’s children have met the monarch before at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and may now have the opportunity for a more formal meeting, though the event was private and no images were released. Harry’s legal disputes have contributed to family tension. He lost his final lawsuit against the Daily Mail, with a judge ruling he had not proven a privacy invasion claim. In a 2023 memoir titled “Spare,” Harry described alleged tensions within the royal family, including accusations that Camilla shared private conversations to improve her public image. He also suggested that the royal institution may have limited his police protection in retaliation for his decision to step back from royal duties. In an interview with the BBC, Harry said he hopes to rebuild family ties and expressed uncertainty about his father’s remaining time. The meeting represents a step toward healing the family rift, though no further public engagements have been announced.