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There is a notable absence in King Charles\u2019 visit to the U.S.: the king\u2019s younger son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.<\/p>\n
Charles and Queen Camilla\u2019s itinerary for their four-day state visit<\/a> is packed. The most prominent items on the agenda are the king\u2019s address to Congress<\/a> and the state dinner Tuesday in Washington. But there was also tea with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, a tour of the White House beehives<\/a> and a garden-party reception at the British ambassador\u2019s residence on Monday.<\/p>\n While the schedule will take the royal couple to New York and Virginia for events, including a wreath-laying at the 9\/11 memorial, there is nothing scheduled for California, where Harry, Meghan and their children live.<\/p>\n There are several reasons for this. <\/p>\n Harry and Meghan made global headlines in 2020 when they announced they were stepping back from their roles as \u201cworking royals<\/a>.\u201d The changes that followed included the couple losing access to their taxpayer-funded security details. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021<\/a>, Meghan talked about her mental health challenges amid palace life and said a royal relative \u2014 whom she did not name \u2014 asked during her first pregnancy about the likely skin color of her unborn child.<\/p>\n Buckingham Palace responded with a statement<\/a> on behalf of Harry\u2019s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, then the monarch:<\/p>\n The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. Harry and Meghan returned to Britain in June 2022 to attend Platinum Jubilee events marking Elizabeth\u2019s 70 years on the throne<\/a> \u2014 but were not present at all of the public celebrations<\/a>.<\/p>\n The couple flew back to attend memorial events after Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022<\/a>. That same year, it emerged that Harry had sued the British government seeking for his publicly financed security to be reinstated.<\/p>\n Harry, who is fifth in the line of succession to the throne, flew to Britain again in early 2024<\/a> after his father announced he has cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n The prince has made few visits to his native country since then, with most trips involving his legal case over security and separate lawsuits against British publishers.<\/p>\nFamily fracture<\/h2>\n
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The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nAwkward visits home<\/h2>\n