Royston said: “Sometimes he’s a bit of a bull in a china shop, but this was actually probably perfectly worded. It [the statement] said just enough so that we all knew that it was Charles who had prevented the meeting or at least the palace side that had prevented the meeting, and that Harry had wanted to meet his father but it also did keep the tone warm and positive. So he said basically due to his schedule, but also got in there ‘and other priorities’.”

He continued: “But Charles did, in Harry’s view, clearly have some other priorities but Harry didn’t put the boot in, he didn’t put venom in the statement. He just made sure that people knew that he had wanted the meeting, and that it was the palace side who had stopped it from happening.”

The visit earlier this year marked Harry’s first time back in the UK since his father resumed public duties after starting cancer treatment. The strained relationship between Prince Harry and other members of the royal family remains evident.

Harry did not meet with his brother, Prince William, who has remained distant since their last public appearance at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Tensions between the brothers were further exacerbated by Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare, and the controversial Harry & Meghan Netflix documentary.

Following his whirlwind UK visit, Harry travelled to Nigeria with Meghan Markle for a three-day trip. Despite the challenges facing Harry and his family, this recent message gives hope that a royal reconciliation may still be possible, according to experts.