Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to return to Britain with their children may have been driven partly by a determination to repair their relationship with King Charles, according to a former royal butler.

It emerged last week Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, are preparing to relocate from California to Britain in a matter of weeks with their kids Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, who are expected to begin school in the UK in September.

The family will reportedly live in a private, non-royal residence outside London while retaining their homes in California and Portugal, and are said to not be returning as working members of the royal family.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold, 48, has now told Us Weekly: “I imagine King Charles has played a part in their decision, and Harry wanting to spend more time with his father.

“I think behind closed doors Harry and the King have been working hard to heal their relationship. Only so much can be done when they live so far apart, so I think this is Harry making his dad his priority, which is really nice to see.”

Grant added: “I think the King will be delighted to have his son and daughter-in-law closer to home. He’s well aware that their rift will never be healed when they’re only seeing each other once a twice a year, this is the next step that’s needed if they want to heal their relationship.”

The comments follow a significant development in Harry and Charles’ relationship last month, when Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet visited Charles and Queen Camilla, 79, at Highgrove in Gloucestershire. The July meeting marked the first time Charles had seen his grandchildren in person since 2022.

Charles is understood to welcome the opportunity to see more of Harry and his family privately.

However, Harry’s estrangement from his brother Prince William, 44, remains unresolved after years of highly publicised disagreements.

Grant said: “I think the King will be concerned about William’s reaction. His biggest challenge is going to be acting as peace negotiation between his two sons.

“The King won’t just be thinking about the now, he’s thinking about the future.”