King Charles and Queen Camilla finally met with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who were accompanied by their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that the royals had gathered for a “private family gathering” at Charles’ home in Gloucestershire, which has sentimental significance not only for the monarch but also for his son.
Archie and Lilibet were in the UK for the first time in four years after months of speculation about whether Charles might meet his grandchildren or not. Since a highly anticipated meeting was being prepared, meticulous arrangements were made, including the selection of the venue for the meeting.
There were several reasons why the meeting did not take place at Buckingham Palace but at Highgrove House.
The private residence is Prince Harry’s childhood home and holds many memories for the Duke and King. It was more appropriate to visit a place that has more sentimental value for a private meeting than the headquarters of the monarchy.
It also keeps prying eyes away from the meeting. The Palace also stressed that no photographs of the meeting would be published, suggesting that every step was taken to keep the meeting a private matter and not a public spectacle.
Furthermore, before the meeting, the King was already overwhelmed by a busy royal diary and Harry had his own commitments. Highgrove therefore turned out to be a middle ground in terms of logistics.
After a morning of engagements in Oxfordshire, the King was just an hour’s drive from the venue. And Harry was already less than a two-hour drive from Highgrove.
As an added bonus, the property is also about two hours from Althorp House, Princess Diana’s childhood home and final resting place, where Harry and his family are expected to spend time during their visit.
