Day 1 of Prince Harry's UK Visit: Meeting Fans, Dodging a Question, & Getting No Support from Royal Family

Prince Harry returned to the U.K. for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, receiving support from his maternal relatives even in the absence of his immediate family. He carefully sidestepped a question about whether he felt a sense of belonging in Britain.

Prince Harry kicked off the 10th Invictus Games Foundation service in London, delivering a heartfelt speech at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Addressing a congregation of about a thousand, he honored the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014 to support wounded servicemen and women.

As Prince Harry exited the cathedral in a black suit with a red-and-black tie and wearing honorary medals, excited fans lined up behind barricades to catch a glimpse of him. One especially eager fan stood out, trying to capture the prince with two phones held close to his face.

Harry playfully asked why the fan had two cameras, and said it didn't make sense to have both. He gently guided her arms behind the barrier before continuing down the line. This lighthearted interaction charmed many of his supporters, who later praised his demeanor on social media.

A fan commented, "Prince Harry greeting the crowds! Lots of “We love you Harry” And the square was absolutely packed!" Another echoed the sentiment, "We love you, Harry!" One user stated, "What a guy."

Someone else reminisced about the prince's late mother, Princess Diana, "Look, he’s their Prince, one time the son of the Legend Diana!" Additionally, a user commented, "Thankfully like his mom, William is unfortunately like his father."

Meanwhile, another pointed out the strong public reception for Prince Harry, saying, "Just look at the massive crowds that greeted Prince Harry the non working Royal and the most love[d] and popular Prince of hearts! Just goes to show that the BRF (British Royal Family) need[s] him more than he need[s] them!

Others pointed out that the crowd's affection extended to Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, with one person saying, "I love this for Harry! They sent love to Meghan too, how lovely." Despite the positive reception, some critics questioned Harry and Meghan's previous claims about facing hostility in the country.

"The #IAM10 #InvictusGames anniversary today shows one thing: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exaggerated and LIED about the British public wanting to attack them," the skeptic remarked.

Meanwhile, another user expressed sympathy for Harry, pointing out what was missing from the event: "So sad that his father or brother could not make time to see him he must feel very left out."

King Charles III, Prince William, and Kate Middleton were not around when Harry kicked off the Invictus event at the cathedral. It was previously revealed that Harry would not meet his father during his visit due to the king's "full program."

"The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon," Harry's representative said on May 7. Concurrently, Charles hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester joined the king at the party. Meanwhile, Harry received support from his late mother's family at the cathedral.

Harry's uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, attended the service, with the prince's aunt, Lady Jane Fellowes. Harry's cousins, George McCorquodale, Ned Spencer, and Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, also joined the occasion.

Further emphasizing the complex family dynamics, Harry was later asked during a visit to the Honourable Artillery Company’s headquarters if he was "happy to be home," but the prince simply smiled and left without directly responding.

Before the Royal Family's garden party and Harry's visit to the cathedral with his maternal relatives, Harry's father met with Fiji's Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, at Buckingham Palace. This meeting sparked online discussions and some netizens noted this as "unforgivable."

The public was shocked and outraged that Prince Harry and King Charles had not seen each other, with many expressing disappointment in the King. "That's absolutely unforgivable, that a Dad can't prioritize his son. King or not!!!" chastised a social media user.

Similarly, someone else expressed, "Harry deserves better. Shame on #KingCharles. He treated #PrincessDiana terrible as well. #TheWholeWorldIsWatching." "Shameful… but Prince Harry can sleep well at night. He has reached out numerous times," commented another.

Highlighting the tumultuous nature of the late princess's relationship with Charles another user noted, "Charles is who Diana said he was 🙃." Another critic called the king "petty."

A Facebooker wrote, "As a parent I can't imagine not being able to pencil my child into my schedule." "I can’t imagine anything more important than getting to spend some time with a child that you really don't see very often," added another.

Someone else who felt particularly strongly about the matter stated, "Sadly, his father chooses his position over his family. His father has made it very clear where his love is. If he really wanted to see his son he would and could. This whole situation clearly shows that it is all about him and his 'control over others.'"

While conflicting schedules were cited as the reason Harry and his father didn't meet during the prince's recent U.K. visit, their strained relationship has been public knowledge for some time.

Even when Harry had flown to London to visit the King after hearing about his cancer diagnosis, their meeting was reportedly very brief. It was reported in February 2024, that Harry opted to stay in a lavish hotel than in his royal residence.

The king's former butler, Grant Harrold, stated that Harry had done so to show his family he could financially support himself without their help. A media outlet revealed that Grant and Charles had maintained a working relationship for seven years. At that time, Charles was still the Prince of Wales.

As reported by Grant, Harry opted for the hotel because he wanted to prove that he was "grown up enough to fund himself." The King's former butler said, "It's strange he's not staying at any royal residences because obviously, when they were growing up, they had rooms at Clarence House and at Highgrove."

Grant expanded on his reasoning by asserting his opinion that Harry's choice did not make sense from a security perspective. After stepping down from his royal role, news sources stipulated that the duke had been traveling with his own security team.

On this and the status of Harry's familial relationships, Grant explained, "Obviously, it's not the best sign if he's staying at a hotel, because you'd have thought he'd possibly stay with his brother [Prince William] and sister-in-law [Kate Middleton] potentially, or at one of his father's homes."

Grant noted, "If there is an ongoing fallout between him and his brother, it's possible that he may not have been given the offer to stay."

Regarding Harry's visit, a media outlet reported that Charles was allegedly displeased as his travel plans were delayed in waiting for his son's arrival. Apparently, the King had plans to travel to Norfolk for tranquility.

Although many speculations surfaced concerning why Prince Harry's visit with the King was brief, a British expert named Richard Fitzwilliams set the record straight. He mentioned that since the father-son meet-up occurred when the King had started treatment, he might have simply been tired, leading to the brevity of the meeting.