The location for Prince Archie and Lilibet's private reunion with King Charles says a lot about royal priorities
They could have met up anywhere but Prince Harry's family went to the King's private Highgrove House in Gloucestershire
Just when we thought it wasn't going to happen, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet had not only come to the UK after all, but had seen King Charles. The reunion took place on the afternoon of 10th July and no pictures were shared by either the King and Queen or the Sussexes.
Even so, it was a big step in the right direction for Harry's dreams of a "reconciliation" and the most interesting detail for me was the location of the meet-up. Highgrove House in Gloucestershire is the King's family home and is privately owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, unlike Clarence House which is owned by the Crown Estate.
It's also where Prince Harry spent a lot of time as a child. There are special snaps of him and William with Princess Diana and King Charles in the picturesque grounds in the years before their divorce.
There could've been plenty of logistical reasons for the Sussexes meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove, though I think it says a lot that it took place there. Security and privacy is a huge concern for Prince Harry and Meghan when it comes to Archie and Lili and the reunion wasn't announced in advance.
The Duke didn't confirm his wife or children were even coming to the UK and Highgrove gave them space and seclusion for the highly-anticipated reunion without the public gaze on them. London is inevitably busier and more likely that the Sussexes would be spotted heading into Clarence House, for example.
Highgrove is also purely a family home and this was a "private family meeting" between a grandfather and his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The setting was more low-key than a palace and although as the King, Charles might still not be entirely happy with how Harry and Meghan have gone about things like their Australian visit in April, this was a personal visit.
I also believe that Highgrove's connection to happier times and Diana might have made it a more comfortable place for Harry and his family to come to. It would've also been lovely for him to show Archie and Lili where he partly grew up too.
Privacy and family are clearly the priority when it comes to the Royal Family's relationship with the Sussexes right now. We don't know how long Harry, Meghan and the kids will be staying in the UK, though reports had suggested that the Duke was keen to bring them to Princess Diana's final resting place at her family home, Althorp House.
It's claimed that they've now visited and a few days earlier Prince Harry explained how he remembers his mother on significant dates like her birthday on 1st July and the anniversary of her death on 31st August. When asked about it at Scotty's Summer Festival, he said, "Yes, we do lemon drizzle cake."
Prince Harry is the Global Ambassador for Scotty's Little Soldiers, which supports bereaved military children who have experienced the loss of a parent. He went on to say that "traditions are really, really important. Especially when they're sweet."
