King Charles III 'Too Busy' to Meet Harry, Who Arrived in London for Invictus Games

Prince Harry has revealed that he is unable to see his father, the King, this week due to the monarch's busy diary.  The 39-year-old Duke of Sussex landed in London on Tuesday morning and had hoped to see his father during his visit.  But the Duke's spokesman said: "In response to numerous enquiries and ongoing speculation whether the Duke would meet his father during his time in the UK this week, this will unfortunately not be possible due to His Majesty's full programme".  

Prince Harry arrived at St Paul's Cathedral for the Invictus Games service, while King Charles III hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace, less than three miles away.   

The Duke of Sussex arrived at the cathedral a little before 5pm, climbing the stairs himself. He had flown in from California specifically for the service, organised to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Games.

As he took his place among the 1,000 people, Harry hugged his uncle, the Earl of Spencer, and Lady Jane Fellows. As the clock struck 5pm and the cathedral fell silent, he turned to speak to the two of them, who were sitting behind him.

Also, present were Mark Dyer, a former army officer and father known to the Duke as Marco, David Sherborne, the Duke's lawyer who represents him in his legal disputes with the tabloid press, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, former private secretary to both Prince William and Prince Harry, and Akshata Murthy, wife of Rishi Sunak. 

The service began with the hymn "Praise, O My Soul, the King of Heaven" and the Dean gave a welcome address, hailing the "tremendous achievements" of the sick and injured soldiers from 23 countries taking part in the Invictus Games.