Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Turn Down Prince Charles’ Invitation to Visit Him at Balmoral

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 5 September 2022

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have officially touched down in the U.K., arriving over the weekend for their first visit back since June’s Platinum Jubilee. They’ve been seen in Windsor, where they’re staying at their U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage, on the grounds of the Queen’s Windsor estate—nearby Prince William and Kate Middleton’s brand-new home of Adelaide Cottage (though the two couples seem to have no plans to meet up, despite being in close proximity to one another).

Meanwhile, Harry’s father Prince Charles remains in Scotland at Balmoral, the Queen’s summer retreat. According to The Mirror, the Prince of Wales—despite being “completely bewildered” by the couple’s actions as of late, in particular Harry’s—invited Harry and Meghan to stay with him at Balmoral, an invitation the Sussexes reportedly declined.

Royal sources tell the outlet that the couple are “always welcome” to stay with Charles, with a close friend detailing to The Mirror how Charles continues to try to bring Harry back into the fold.

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“He hasn’t wavered, despite the attacks, which seem to be coming with increased vigor,” the friend says. “The Prince of Wales reiterated his invitation for Harry and Meghan, and the whole family if they wished, to come and stay with him this summer while he is at his home on the Balmoral estate. He thought it might be a good opportunity for everyone to take stock and relax, but the invitation was declined.”

This news comes on the heels of Meghan’s interview with The Cut, released last week to major fanfare—and controversy. In part of the wide-ranging piece, Meghan is quoted as saying “Harry said to me, ‘I lost my dad in this process.’ It doesn’t have to be the same for them as it was for me, but that’s his decision.” Sussex biographer Omid Scobie later clarified the quote, saying “I understand that Prince Harry is referring to Meghan’s loss of her own father, and Meghan is saying she doesn’t want Harry to lose his.”

Harry and Meghan will be in Manchester today for the One Young World Summit, where Meghan will give her first speech in the U.K. since departing that country for the U.S. in 2020. The week will see the couple jet to Germany and then back to London for their final event of the week on Thursday. In addition to seemingly having no plans to see Charles, The Mirror reports they also have no plans to see the Queen, who is also at Balmoral right now.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.