In his statement on Saturday, Prince Harry also corrected part of the Sun’s report about the gifts that had been exchanged. The Sun had initially said a framed photograph of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s family was exchanged.
“While we would have preferred such details to remain private, for the sake of clarity we can confirm that a framed photograph was handed over, however the image did not contain the duke and duchess,” the duke’s spokesperson said.
An earlier statement from a spokesman for the duke to the Sun read: “The trip back was about focusing on his patronages and supporting his good causes while also having time to catch up with family and friends.”
Prince Harry has previously expressed his desire to reconcile with his family after years of media appearances, a memoir and a Netflix documentary that have caused further strain and speculation.
Prince Harry, Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet currently live in California. The last known meeting between King Charles and his grandchildren was at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
There have been no signs of Prince Harry and his brother Prince William meeting in the future, with the brothers carrying out separate arrangements during Prince Harry’s visit.
Prince Harry has long been critical of parts of the UK media, and brought legal action against several newspapers including the Sun. In January, the publisher of the Sun agreed to pay “substantial damages” and apologised to the Duke of Sussex to settle a long-running legal battle over claims of unlawful intrusion into his life.
Last year, he said the tabloid press had been “central” to the breakdown of his relationship with the rest of the Royal Family.