Royal Family Reunion Drama: King Charles Made Sure a 'Witness' Was Present for Private Meeting With Son Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
King Charles had a witness present for his meeting with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
July 22 2026, Updated 3:32 p.m. ET
A key royal figure was quietly drafted in to ensure King Charles III wasn't left to face Prince Harry and Meghan Markle alone during their long-awaited reunion, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The notoriously soft-hearted monarch was joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, who was there to bear witness to the meeting and be an extra set of eyes and ears, according to a royal author.
'The Queen Was There for a Reason'
Queen Camilla was there for the meeting between the king and the Sussexes.
"The queen was there for a reason," royal author Robert Jobson explained to Page Six. "To make sure that everything was witnessed."
During an appearance on the July 21 The Royalist podcast, The Windsor Legacy scribe went into greater detail about why it was so important that Camilla be present when Charles met with his son for the first time since September 2025, and saw his daughter-in-law and their two children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5.
"Clearly, Queen Camilla has thick skin, and she was there to protect her husband, doing her job and her duty to protect the sovereign, as well as her husband," Jobson said about Camilla being both a loyal wife and powerful member of the monarchy.
Queen Camilla Would Be 'Quite Skilled' in Dealing With the Sussexes
Prince Harry called Queen Camilla a 'villain' in his 2023 memoir.
"I think she would have been able to ride that one out in a way that – I know Meghan is an actress and they could all put on a show – but I think Queen Camilla would be quite, quite, quite skilled in dealing with a situation that other people would find incredibly embarrassing," Jobson said.
The Charles at Seventy author observed how Camilla weathered criticism from Harry through his memoir Spare, as well as the Sussexes' accusations against the royal family since Megxit. Jobson pointed to the prince was "calling her wicked stepmother and all sorts of terrible insults leaking to the press and everything like that."
Queen Camilla Helping Guard Against the Sussexes' Return to Royal Life
Jobson suggested the Sussexes were attempting to 'creep' back into royal life.
Jobson also said Camilla's rock-solid presence was crucial to ensure Charles didn't go soft during the meeting, as Harry and Markle have been rumored to be seeking a path back into royal life.
"I think it was very important that the Queen was there for the King, and for all of us really, to protect us from the growing creep, if you like, of the Sussexes trying to get themselves back into public life and making regular visits to the United Kingdom," he noted.
Prince Harry's U.K. Trip Descended Into Chaos Before Meeting With His Dad
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had tea with Charles and Camilla.
The plans for the Sussexes' visit with the king were fraught for weeks leading up to the meeting.
Harry sparked fresh royal drama by publicly claiming his invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace had been rescinded. Palace officials set the record straight, explaining the Duke of Sussex had initially declined the offer before reversing course at the last minute, but it was too late to put the necessary accommodations in place.
Eventually, Markle and the kids quietly traveled to England, and the Sussexes had a one-hour tea with Charles and Camilla at the king's longtime country home, Highgrove House.
The palace stressed that the meeting was a strictly private family affair and that no photos or other details would be released to the public.
