A private gathering between the most senior members of the British royal family and one of its most estranged branches has drawn attention as a possible sign of a thaw in a long-strained relationship. According to the account, it is understood that the King and Queen hosted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, together with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at Highgrove House.
The location itself is one closely associated with the King. According to the account, the meeting took place at Highgrove, in Gloucestershire, a residence long linked to the monarch, and the presence there of the Sussexes and their two young children marked an unusual coming-together of a family that has been divided in recent years.
What gives the encounter its weight is how rare such contact has become. According to the account, before today the Duke of Sussex had only seen his father once in recent years, which meant that the visit to Highgrove represented a significant moment rather than a routine family call.
In the build-up, there had been genuine uncertainty over who would actually take part. According to the account, it had been unclear whether the Duchess of Sussex and the children would join Prince Harry on his visit to the UK, with speculation about whether they were even in the country and whether they would meet the King.
The way the trip began had only added to that uncertainty. According to the account, Harry arrived in the UK on Monday from his home in the United States, initially without his family after they pulled out of a visit to the capital, leaving open the question of whether the wider family would appear at all.
The visit had a public purpose running alongside the private family dimension. According to the account, Harry had been taking part in a series of events tied to the launch of next year's Invictus Games, the sporting competition that has become closely associated with him and which he has continued to champion.
Even so, not every member of the Sussex household stepped into the public eye during the trip. According to the account, it had been confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex would not appear at any public events during the visit, which left the gathering at Highgrove standing out as a private moment away from the cameras and the formal engagements.