Prince Harry will not be in attendance for King Charles III’s upcoming birthday celebration.
“In response to UK media headlines, there has been no contact regarding an invitation to His Majesty’s upcoming birthday,” Harry’s spokesperson tells Us Weekly.
A source initially told Us on Monday, November 6, that Harry, 39, declined the invitation to the royal event. Charles, 74, will be holding a celebration with his friends and family at Clarence House in London for his 75th birthday on November 14.
Harry recently flew overseas from California, where he lives with wife Meghan Markle and their two children, for a handful of big events. In September, the Sussexes showed their support at the 2023 Invictus Games — which Harry founded in 2014 — in Germany. On the way there, Harry made a brief stop in the U.K. to attend the 2023 WellChild Awards. During his brief stay, Harry paid his respects to his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II at St. George’s Chapel while marking the first anniversary of her death. (Elizabeth died in September 2022 at age 96.)
“Everybody knows how close Harry and the queen had always been so visiting [her burial site] and being able to pay his respects meant the world to him,” a source exclusively told Us at the time. “Although Harry is living in the States now, the U.K. will always feel like home to him, so it felt very special that he was able to attend.”
Despite being in town, Harry didn’t visit his father or his brother, Prince William. Harry has been at odds with Charles and William, 41, since he and Meghan, 42, stepped down from their senior royal duties in March 2020 and moved their family to California. Since their exit, the couple — who share son Archie, 4, and daughter Lilibet, 2 — have spoken out about the ups and downs they experienced as members of the royal family, some of which Harry wrote about in his memoir, Spare.
Harry and Charles previously reunited in May for the latter’s coronation ceremony. Meghan did not attend the historic occasion, instead opting to stay in the U.S. to celebrate Archie’s 4th birthday. Harry jetted back home shortly after the coronation festivities ended to be with his wife and children.
“My understanding is [Harry] didn’t have any interactions with the Prince or Princess of Wales but that he did have a conversation with his father the night before,” royal expert Nick Bullen exclusively told Us in May.
While tensions are high between Harry and other members of the royal family, the drama is bringing Charles and William closer together, according to royal expert Christopher Andersen.
“They’ve had to put up this united front against Harry and Meghan,” Andersen explained to Us in July. “They’ve been insulted by members of their own family. It’s been quite the ordeal for them, and I think that they kind of circled the wagon, so to speak. And they’ve come out of that with a stronger bond.”
