READY TO Forgive

After a string of royal health scares, sources say members of the monarchy may finally be willing to put their differences aside

- JAIME HARKIN

On Feb. 6, one day after Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer, Prince Harry traveled to the U.K. for a brief 24-hour trip to see his ailing father. "Harry was focused on catching up and spending quality time together," says a source, noting that the meeting - which reportedly took place at Clarence House, Charles and Queen Camilla's London home - was "amicable and warm." Adds a second source: "Charles was extremely touched by Harry's gesture."

Members of the royal inner circle are hopeful Harry and Charles' meetup marks a first step toward a reconciliation between father and son and the family at large. Harry, 39, and wife Meghan Markle, 42, have been on the outs with his 75-year-old father as well as his brother, Prince William, 41, and Princess Kate, 42, since leaving the U.K. in early 2020. The first source says recent royal health issues Kate, who shares Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, with William, is still recuperating from a planned abdominal surgery on Jan. 17-may just be the catalyst for a truce. "They can use this as a starting point," says the source. "The consensus is that life is too short, and there's hope this will lead to repairing the rift."

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