Why Prince Harry's emotional dash to the UK was brief

The Duke of Sussex was spotted at London's Heathrow Airport on Wednesday following a brief reunion with his father, King Charles, amid his cancer diagnosis.

Prince Harry dashed to the UK on Monday less than 24 hours after Buckingham Palace made the announcement about the King's health.

The father-of-two, 39, was then pictured arriving at Clarence House in London where he met with his father for around 45 minutes before the King left by helicopter for Sandringham.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex, 42, remained in Montecito, California with the couple's young children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.

When Harry attended the King's coronation last May, he made a swift return to the US after the Westminster Abbey ceremony to be back for Archie's fourth birthday.

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The Sussexes are also set to travel to Canada this month for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025's One Year to Go celebrations.

Over the course of three days in Vancouver and Whistler, HELLO! understands that Harry and Meghan will join members of the Participating Nations Winter Training Camp, which provides an opportunity for members of the International Invictus Community, including team managers, coaches and competitors to experience winter adaptive sports ahead of the Games next year.

The Duke's form of accommodation while he was in the UK was not disclosed. Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 before permanently moving to the US. Last June, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Sussexes had vacated their official UK residence, Frogmore Cottage.

During Harry's last visit to the UK in September 2023 for the WellChild Awards, there was speculation that he could stay at Windsor Castle while other reports suggested he had checked into a hotel.

The Prince of Wales resumed his public duties on Wednesday amid his wife Kate's recovery from abdominal surgery and the King's cancer diagnosis. But it is understood that Prince William has no plans to meet his brother Harry during his brief visit.

Harry has had a fractured relationship with his father and older brother in recent years, as detailed in his tell-all memoir, Spare, published in January 2023.

In 2022, the Sussexes also released a Netflix docuseries detailing their experiences within the royal fold and their subsequent move to the US.

But speaking during his interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Harry admitted: "I will always love him. There's a lot of hurt that's happened. I will continue to make it one of my priorities to heal that relationship."

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