A source close to the Duke of Sussex has confirmed that he will not travel to the country’s capital to see his father during his upcoming trip to the United States

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Prince Harry with King Charles(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Prince Harry will not see King Charles when he heads to America in April for his controversial US state visit. A source close to the Duke of Sussex confirmed that he will not travel to Washington DC, where Charles will be hosted by President Trump, in order to see his father.

The King’s stateside visit was confirmed today in a statement from Buckingham Palace after months of speculation over whetherthe trip would go ahead. The Palace confirmed that Charles and Camilla will visit the United States next month on advice of the government and at the invitation of the president.

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Prince Harry will not see King Charles during his upcoming trip to America(Image: Getty Images)

It is understood the trip will take place in the last week of April, with Charles also set to visit the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, without Camilla, after leaving the US.

While in America, the King and Queen will commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, attend a glittering state dinner at the White House, and the King will address Congress. Exact dates and details have yet to be disclosed.

Today Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “On advice of His Majesty’s Government, and at the invitation of The President of the United States, The King and Queen will undertake a State Visit to the United States of America.

“Their Majesties’ programme will celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence. The King will then continue to Bermuda to undertake His Majesty’s first Royal Visit as Monarch to a British Overseas Territory.”

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Harry last saw his father in London in September 2025(Image: PA)

It is believed Charles and Camilla will only spend a few days stateside, sticking to the East Coast of the country with events taking place in Washington DC and New York. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, along with their children Archie and Lilibet, reside in California, on the West Coast. Harry last saw his father in September last year during a whirlwind trip to the UK for the WellChild Awards.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond previously told the Mirror that Charles’ jam-packed schedule would prevent the father and son from having a meeting while the King is stateside.

She said: “State visits are incredibly busy. The schedule is worked out months in advance and is tightly packed with carefully curated engagements designed to enhance bilateral relations. There is very little downtime, and I can’t think that the King would fly across the whole country to visit Harry and his family in California.”

Jennie said that Charles would no doubt welcome a meeting with his son and his grandchildren – whom he has only met a few times – but time would not allow it.

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Charles will be hosted by President Trump in the US in April (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

She said: “I’m sure Charles would love to meet his grandchildren again… But visits like this are about as official as it can get, and it’s really not a time for patching up severely strained family relationships. A meeting would also inevitably draw the headlines away from the purpose of the visit. It’s far more likely that Harry and his family will be encouraged to keep a low profile during the trip.”

It will be the King’s first visit to the US as monarch and the first state visit by a British sovereign to America for nearly 20 years, since Queen Elizabeth II’s tour in 2007. In the hours after the visit was confirmed, US president Donald Trump said: “This momentous occasion will be even more special this year, as we commemorate the 250th Anniversary of our Great Country. I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!”