There’s no denying their relationship has been strained in recent years, however, next weekend the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex will enjoy a rare joint celebration as both the UK and the US will mark Father’s Day on 18 June.
Both countries celebrate the fathers in the world on the third Sunday of June and the pair will no doubt spend the day with their families – William with his wife Princess Kate and their three children, and Harry with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children.
This week, Prince Harry has been in the UK where he appeared in court to give evidence in his High Court phone hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
Prince Harry has now reunited with his family in the US. His wife Meghan remained at home with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, just as she did when the Duke came over for his father King Charles’ coronation in May.
The Duke, who did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the flypast with other members of the royal family, was seen getting into a car after the coronation and appeared at London’s Heathrow sometime later so he could fly back in time for Prince Archie’s fourth birthday.
Harry’s appearance at the coronation marked his first reunion with King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, since the Queen’s funeral in September. It was also the first time Harry has been seen with his family since his Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, and his new book.
In recent years, Prince Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family has been a subject of intense scrutiny. Their decision to step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family in early 2020 shocked the world.
Since then, the couple have relocated to California, where they have continued to work on their charitable endeavours, including the launch of their Archewell Foundation, and have spoken out on issues such as mental health and racial justice.
After their move to the States, reports of tension between Prince Harry and Prince William emerged – which Harry later addressed in his book Spare, which was released in January following their candid Netflix docuseries.
