Prince Harry has offered a rare glimpse into his father’s condition, telling guests at a New York gala that King Charles is “doing great” shortly after a private family reunion at the monarch’s Gloucestershire home. The Duke of Sussex made the remark at the TIME100 Sports Gala in New York City on July 16, an update that came six days after he and his family reunited with the King and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House.
The comment was overheard by a guest and made in conversation rather than during Harry’s formal address onstage. It marked one of the few times any family member has spoken publicly about the King’s health since Buckingham Palace disclosed his cancer diagnosis in February 2024. The Palace has never identified the type of cancer, and Harry’s brief update at the gala did not include any additional medical details.
A Private Reunion at Highgrove
Charles and Camilla hosted Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet at Highgrove House on July 10. The palace acknowledged the gathering but described it as a private family occasion, releasing no details about how long the visit lasted or what was discussed. No photographs from the reunion were made public, and Meghan did not release any images of the day.
The visit carried particular weight because it was the first time Charles had seen Archie, now 7, and Lilibet, now 5, face-to-face since 2022. Archie and Lilibet had last visited Britain with Harry and Meghan during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were not reported to have attended the Highgrove meeting, and the Sussex family made no public appearance together during the trip.
Harry’s five-day trip to the U.K. began on Tuesday, July 7 — the day he received news that his privacy lawsuit against the Daily Mail’s publisher had failed. On the Friday of that week, the Sussex family traveled to meet Charles and Camilla in the afternoon.
A Shift in Mood Before the Meeting
According to Roya Nikkhah, The Sunday Times’ royal editor, Harry’s demeanor appeared to change ahead of the reunion. Speaking on The Royal’s podcast, she said she found it notable that Harry appeared to have shifted his mindset during a Birmingham NEC event on the Friday, when he already knew the family gathering was set to take place. He was due to travel from the NEC to Warwickshire that day.
Nikkhah observed that people who saw Harry at the Birmingham event described him as being in noticeably high spirits, adding that while he is always energized by Invictus-related work, this occasion stood out. She also noted the absence of any leaks about what the two parties discussed during the encounter, calling it a departure from past meetings.
Nikkhah noted that unlike previous occasions, Harry didn’t emerge with emotional warnings about his father’s prognosis. She suggested Harry appeared pleased the meeting had happened at all, despite the well-documented tensions between him and his family, and pointed to the significance of him being able to reintroduce his children to their grandfather after four years apart.
The King’s Ongoing Treatment
Buckingham Palace revealed Charles’s cancer diagnosis in February 2024 after physicians discovered a separate health issue while treating him for benign prostate enlargement. Officials confirmed at the time that the King did not have prostate cancer. Charles paused public-facing duties as he began treatment, though he continued to handle state business and official paperwork, and he later returned to public engagements while continuing his care.
In a December 2025 video for Stand Up To Cancer, Charles indicated his treatment schedule might be scaled back in the new year, calling the prospect a “personal blessing” and thanking the doctors, nurses, researchers and families involved in cancer care. Throughout 2026, the King has kept up a full slate of royal engagements, including hospital visits, military ceremonies and events tied to cancer research and support. He has also spoken with patients about their treatment and the importance of early diagnosis.
Harry Honored for Invictus Work
Harry made a surprise solo appearance at the July 16 gala, where he was honored for his work with the Invictus Games. He launched the competition in 2014 following his service in the British Army and two tours in Afghanistan. In his speech, Harry spoke about military service, the origins of Invictus and the role sport can play for wounded service members and veterans, describing it as a way for injured personnel to rebuild confidence and reconnect with their families.
Beyond his father’s health, Harry told guests that Meghan and the children were happy to be back home in California following the U.K. trip, saying the family was glad to have returned to Montecito. He also joked that Archie and Lilibet were “growing like weeds.” The upbeat tone of the gala remarks, coming so soon after the Highgrove reunion, offered a striking contrast to the more somber updates Harry has given about his father in the past.
