King Charles calls 'rare' family dinner of senior royals ahead of Prince Harry's return

King Charles has called what has been described as a “rare” family dinner of senior royals days before Prince Harry’s return to the UK.

The monarch is currently in Scotland for Royal Week, staying at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh where the gathering took place on Tuesday evening.

King Charles is said to have hosted what is known in royal circles as a “dine and sleep”, where family members have dinner and then stay at the palace, which is the monarch’s official residence in Scotland.

It included Queen Camilla, Prince William, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh, who are in Edinburgh for Royal Week, also known as Holyrood Week − which takes place in the Scottish capital every July.

Prince Harry’s imminent return to the UK was said to have been the hot topic of the dinner, according to reports in British media.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be bringing their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to Britain in early July. The visit would mark the first time the family of four has been to the UK, together, since June 2022 when they travelled there for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

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Prince Harry and Meghan returned in September 2022 for events which coincided with Elizabeth II’s death and funeral.

Details of their trip remain under wraps but Prince Harry is expected to attend a one-year-to-go launch connected to the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham next year, with Meghan.

He will also attend engagements connected with his remaining patronages.

But the visit is said to be up in the air after Prince Harry was denied taxpayer-funded police protection for the five-day tour.

The king has offered the family use of a royal residence that would put them under the protection of police, but only when they are on the property.

A source close to Harry said he believed his family’s visit to Britain had been “pulled out from under their feet at the 11th hour”.

The duke was “looking at every option to try and get the family here safely and keep them safe when they’re on the ground”.

“The hope is they can meet their grandfather,” the source said last week.

The ongoing speculation surrounding Prince Harry’s security fight with the government, and questions about if his children will see the king, is no doubt causing concern for the royal family.

King Charles will remain in Scotland this week before returning to London.

The day after Tuesday evening’s family dinner, the royals − minus Princess Anne − attended the historic Order of the Thistle ceremony, Scotland’s oldest order of chivalry.

Prince William, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, was there without his wife Catherine who last week completed the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge supporting the Royal Marsden where she was treated for cancer.

The Order of the Thistle dates back to the time of King James VII of Scotland (James II) although its roots may have origins in the Middle Ages.

It was held at St Giles’ Cathedral and recognises 16 knights, drawn from men and women who have held public office or contributed to national life, alongside additional royal knights.

Only the monarch can bestow the honour on someone and Prince William and Princess Anne are among the royal knights and ladies in the order.

In 2024, Queen Camilla and Prince Edward were formally appointed to the Order of the Thistle.

The ceremony is recognisable for its members wearing distinctive green velvet robes and white plumed hats.