Prince Harry had tea with King Charles on Wednesday at their first meeting in 20 months, in what may prove a first step toward ending a much-publicised rift between father and son.

Harry, the Duke of Sussex, last saw his father in February 2024, shortly after it was announced that the king was undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles, 76, had a private tea at Clarence House in London with his son on Wednesday.

Harry, 40, travelled directly to an Invictus Games event in London after the meeting. Asked by a reporter about his father, he said: "Yes, he's great, thank you."

Harry flew into Britain on Monday for a series of engagements, and earlier on Wednesday visited a research centre which specialises in improving treatment for victims with blast injuries.

Since Harry and his American wife Meghan moved to California in 2020 where they now live with their two children, they have been highly critical of the royal family and the institution in interviews, TV documentaries and Harry's autobiography "Spare."

Harry had some particularly barbed comments for Charles and his elder brother, heir-to-the-throne Prince William, leading to a total breakdown in his relationship with his family.

But after losing a legal battle with the British government over his security in May, Harry said he wanted a rapprochement.

"Of course some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course they will never forgive me for lots of things. But you know ... I would love reconciliation with my family. ... There's no point in continuing to fight anymore. And life is precious," he told the BBC.

"I don't know how much longer my father has. He won't speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile." (Reuters)