Inside Buckingham Palace, the rhythm of life has shifted around King Charles III’s health. At 77, and undergoing cancer treatment that doctors recently announced would be reduced in the new year, his days are increasingly organized around medical appointments rather than ceremonial duties. Courtiers describe a more reflective monarch, acutely aware of time with family. As Christmas 2025 nears, the question of whether he will see his youngest grandchildren again has become one of the most pressing and personal issues facing the royal household.
Three and a half years have passed since Charles last saw Prince Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie and Lilibet, in person at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. That gap is now the longest period he has gone without direct contact with any of his grandchildren. Those close to the King say the absence of Archie, now six, and Lilibet, four, weighs heavily on him, sharpening his sense of time lost. For Harry and Meghan, still based in California, security concerns have remained the central reason for staying away, turning what began as a family disagreement into a prolonged and highly visible separation.
Security Standoff
When Harry stepped back as a senior working royal in 2020 and relocated with Meghan to North America, he lost automatic, taxpayer-funded police protection in the United Kingdom. That change triggered a years-long dispute with the Home Office over whether he and his family could safely return for visits. Harry has argued consistently that he cannot responsibly bring his wife and children back without robust, official security arrangements. The government resisted restoring his former level of protection, and a series of legal challenges between 2020 and 2025 upheld the modified status.
At the heart of the dispute is whether a high-profile figure who is no longer a full-time working royal, yet remains globally recognizable and sometimes polarizing, should receive the same security as those still performing official duties. Harry’s legal team has highlighted threats he faces, while officials have insisted that security decisions must be made case by case, not as a right attached to royal status. This impasse has contributed to over three years passing since Archie and Lilibet last visited their grandfather.
Signs of Thaw
Despite the stalemate over security, there have been tentative signs of reconciliation between father and son. In September 2025, Charles and Harry met privately at Clarence House during an unannounced visit, their first in-person contact in 19 months. Accounts of the meeting have described it as sincere and emotionally positive, with observers calling it a major step toward repairing their strained relationship.
The meeting raised hopes that a broader family rapprochement might follow. Both Charles and Harry are said to want Archie and Lilibet to know their grandfather and to spend time in the country where Harry grew up. Yet Harry has remained firm that he will not bring his family back to the United Kingdom unless security arrangements meet his threshold for safety. That condition has left any potential future reunion dependent not on sentiment, but on an official review.
On December 8, 2025, the Home Office confirmed that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as RAVEC, had ordered a full reassessment of Harry’s threat level and protection needs. The review is drawing on evidence from police, Harry’s private security team, and intelligence agencies. It is the first comprehensive look at his security since 2020 and comes after a series of incidents, including a reported encounter with a known stalker during Harry’s September 2025 visit to the UK.
Family Distance, Institutional Decisions
As the review proceeds, daily life continues on separate continents. Archie, born in 2019, was three the last time he saw King Charles at the Jubilee. Lilibet, born in 2021, is believed to have met her grandfather only a handful of times. Palace insiders say Charles is determined to spend meaningful time with them while he can, hoping to build memories rather than rely on stories and photographs.
Within the royal household, there is a tension between the King’s personal wishes and the demands of his position. Some advisors encourage him to conserve energy and focus on key public duties; others privately acknowledge that a reunion could bring emotional support as he continues his medical treatment. Charles maintained core traditions this year: attending the Christmas morning service at St. Mary Magdalene Church and recording his annual Christmas broadcast, which reaches millions of viewers in the UK. Harry and Meghan spent Christmas 2025 in California with their children.
Meghan Markle has largely stayed out of public debate over the security issue but is understood to back Harry’s insistence that safety is non-negotiable. She has not visited the UK since 2022. Any trip following a favorable review would require rapid planning and her agreement to return for what could be an important opportunity for a full family gathering.
Looking Ahead
The timing of the security reassessment is critical and complicated. A decision is expected by January 2026. Even if the review concludes that Harry should receive increased protection during visits, practical arrangements and any conditions attached could delay a trip. Security specialists caution that a favorable ruling does not automatically translate into an immediate return; flights, schedules, and risk management would all need to be aligned.
Beyond one family’s hopes, the case carries wider implications. The outcome will help define how the British state treats protection for high-profile royals who live abroad or step back from official duties. It will influence how future disputes between the monarchy and government over security are handled, and it is being watched closely across the Commonwealth and in the United States, where Harry and Meghan’s story has become a touchpoint for broader conversations about family, duty, and modern royal life.
For King Charles, the issue is less abstract. While his doctors have indicated his cancer treatment is progressing well enough to be reduced in 2026, he remains conscious of the importance of family connections. Whether or not a reunion happens in the coming months, his actions over the past year suggest that reconciliation with Harry and a relationship with Archie and Lilibet now sit alongside duty at the top of his priorities. The RAVEC decision in January will show whether the system can bend enough to accommodate those wishes—or whether procedure will continue to stand between a grandfather and his grandchildren.
Sources
Us Weekly – December 2024 – “Charles is treating this Christmas as ‘a special last Christmas’”
Cosmopolitan – December 4, 2025 – “King Charles Is Preparing for This Christmas to Be His Last”
New Idea – December 21, 2025 – “King Charles’ long-awaited joy: Harry free to bring his kids”
BBC – Various dates – Royal reporting and court filings context
Hello! Magazine – December 7, 2025 – “Prince Harry’s UK security arrangements under review in Home Office”
Yahoo Entertainment – December 8, 2025 – “Prince Harry Wins U.K. Security Review, Paving Way for Reunion”
People – September 2025 – “Charles and Harry reunite at Clarence House, described as ‘massive step’”