For all the talk about the “body language” and “frostiness” between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, there was no public interaction between the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and the Sussexes either. Everything about Friday’s service at St. Paul’s Cathedral was choreographed precisely so that Charles, Camilla, William and Kate would not have to be in the same frame at Harry or Meghan, or speak to them whatsoever in public. Now, we also know that Charles and the Queen did a lot to ease Harry and Meghan’s path for this visit. That much was clear. It’s also clear that Harry and Charles have had *some* contact in recent months, especially with Charles and Camilla seeing the Sussexes on their April visit. So… this isn’t surprising: Harry and Meghan apparently went to Clarence House on Friday morning before the church service.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seen leaving Clarence House after meeting with Prince Charles at his London residence this morning, it has been claimed. The Sussexes were reportedly seen leaving his home shortly before Friday morning’s National Service of Thanksgiving. After leaving, they were followed not long after by the Prince of Wales and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Clarence House and Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on reports that the Queen has already met the couple’s daughter Lilibet. But Vanity Fair reports Harry and Meghan met with Charles before the service, which the Queen was forced to sit out.

[From The Daily Mirror]

Some British outlets are going with “secret talks,” but as always, there’s a difference between discreet and secretive. I think Harry and Charles are quietly and discreetly talking and they’re trying to work through some things. Is everything perfect between them? No. Will all of their hatchets be buried? No. But they’re grown men and I genuinely hope they can work something out where they can at least talk. I would also hope that Charles showed an eagerness to at least see and spend time with his grandchildren.

In the New York Times’s coverage of the Jubbly events, they describe this year as Charles’s “soft launch” as eventual monarch, with Peter Hunt calling him “the de facto, front-of-house head of state.” Historian Ed Owens told the Times: “We’re living through a regency in all but name. They’ve got no blueprint for what to do with a monarch who is so aged and so frail.” I think that’s important to remember too – what’s happening between Charles and the Sussexes isn’t just about an estrangement between father and son, it’s about a soon-to-be king making peace with the prince who is partly a political asset and partly an existential political threat.

Clarence House chose some interesting photos for their Instagram carousel:

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.