EXCLUSIVE: Former royal butler Grant Harrold is sure that King Charles wants his rift with Prince Harry to be ‘resolved’ after years of tension between them

King Charles will want his rift with Prince Harry to be “resolved” as the pair gear up for a major reunion next month, a former Royal butler has said.

Broadcaster Grant Harrold, who was previously a butler to Charles, has said the father-and-son meeting when the Duke of Sussex travels to the UK for the WellChild Awards in September could be “a stepping stone in the start of the healing process.”

While Grant, 47, said one meeting is unlikely “to resolve four or five years of fallout,” it could be the beginning of a process to mend their relationship.

Harry and Charles are set to reunite for the first time in 20 months when he visits Britain in two weeks – but Prince William has shut down any hopes of reconciling with his estranged brother.

The Duke is set to be in London on September 8 – the third annivesary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing – and the King will also be in the UK, without any scheduled overseas trips until late September, creating an opportunity for the father and son to reconnect face-to-face for the first time since February 2024.

The Duke of Sussex is attending the WellChild Awards in Britain (Image: Getty Images)

A source revealed to the Mirror, “It’s clear there is now a determination on both sides to make this happen. Nobody is pretending the wider family issues have been resolved, but this is about beginning with Charles and Harry.

“For the first time in a long time, there’s a genuine sense that reconciliation is within reach. Prince Harry’s team and the Palace have opened a line of communication, and there is every hope that father and son will see one another when the Duke returns to London in September.”

They continued, “After 20 months apart, and with the King continuing his treatment, the feeling is that the time is right to take that step.

“This is not about grand gestures or set-piece meetings – it’s about a simple face-to-face conversation between a father and his son. The priority is privacy and dignity, but also ensuring the door stays open for further dialogue. As for Harry and William, though, any chance of reconciliation between them has been rejected out of hand.”

According to former royal butler Grant, who knows the monarch, he will want the rift to be resolved privately.

Speaking on behalf of Fruity King, Grant said, “If they have a reunion of any kind, the biggest thing for him is that it will remain a private conversation, and it doesn’t ever become public knowledge.

“With any family that has had a falling out and is trying to resolve differences, they will not want to be in a situation where it becomes any worse and family members speak out. Knowing the King, he will want this resolved. That will be the plan.”

Despite the potential encounter, it is understood Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, will remain in California with the pair’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Charles hasn’t seen his grandchildren since June 2022, when the Sussexes made their return for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee festivities.

Last month, Harry’s chief communications officer, Meredith Maines, encountered the King’s press secretary Tobyn Andreae for talks at the Royal Overseas League in London.

Liam Maguire, who manages the Sussexes’ UK press, also participated in the gathering, which was viewed as a significant move toward establishing communication.