Prince Harry and Meghan share photos of children at Diana's grave during first UK visit in four years

Return to the UK

After a four-year absence, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the United Kingdom in early July 2026 with their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5. Initially, Prince Harry planned to travel alone to prepare for the seventh edition of the Invictus Games, scheduled for Birmingham in July 2027. However, it was later confirmed that Meghan and the children would join him, marking their first family visit since the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

Private reunion at Highgrove

The highlight of the UK leg was a private meeting with King Charles III at his Gloucestershire country residence, Highgrove. The king spent time with his grandchildren, whom he had not seen since 2022. No images from the reunion were released, but Spanish media described the encounter as an opportunity to ease strained relations after years of distance.

Flowers for Diana at Althorp

During their stay, the family resided at Althorp House as guests of Charles Spencer, Earl Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana. The estate was closed to the public on July 10 and 11, fueling speculation that the Sussexes used these dates for a private visit. Meghan later confirmed the visit in an Instagram carousel of 12 images, which included a black-and-white photograph of Harry walking with Archie and Lilibet along the tree-lined path leading to Diana’s grave on the Oval Lake island. Each child held a bouquet, suggesting they paid tribute to their grandmother.

In his 2023 memoir “Spare,” Prince Harry recalled his first visit with Meghan in 2022:

Taking the girl of my dreams home to meet my mother.

He also wrote about the emotional moment: “We hesitated a moment, held each other, and then I went first. I placed flowers on the grave. Meghan gave me a moment, and I spoke to my mother in my mind.” The island remains inaccessible to the public, a deliberate choice by Earl Spencer to protect Diana’s privacy, with the lake and thick mud acting as extra defenses.

Portuguese retreat

Following their UK stay, the family headed to Melides, a coastal town 130 kilometres south of Lisbon where they own a second home. The Instagram album, captioned “Summer holidays,” showed the children playing on the beach and Lilibet being tossed into the pool by Harry. Archie was photographed in the cockpit of the private jet wearing a pilot’s cap, while a black-and-white dinner snapshot captured Harry and Meghan laughing together in Portugal’s Alentejo region. The area, dubbed the “Hamptons of Portugal,” is also favoured by Princess Eugenie, Harry’s cousin.