Meghan Markle Will Not Be Joining Prince Harry For Visit To 'Sick' King Charles

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, is reportedly staying in California with her children while her husband, Prince Harry, travels to London to visit his father, King Charles III, who recently received a cancer diagnosis.

Harry's visit is said to be in response to a personal call from his father informing him about the diagnosis. It has also been speculated that it could help ease tense relations between his family and the monarchy.

According to the Daily Mail, Meghan won't be joining Harry on his visit to see the King amid the monarch's recent cancer diagnosis.

The former "Suits" actress will be staying behind with their kids, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, in California as her husband hurries over to London to support his father.

While the reason for Meghan's decision not to accompany Harry on the trip remains unclear, speculation has arisen regarding the seriousness of the King's condition.

Many have inferred that Harry's prompt visit to Britain "indicates the seriousness" of the King's condition and that the monarch even informed the prince of his diagnosis before it became public.

An official statement from the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about the proposed trip read: "The duke did speak with his father about his diagnosis. He will be traveling to the UK to see His Majesty in the coming days."

The last time the Sussexes saw the King was at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last September.

One day after the funeral, the couple returned to their Montecito residence by public flight after being allegedly denied permission to travel back on the Air Force One plane with U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife.

It was reported that granting such a request "would have caused a commotion" and "strained relations with the palace," per Page Six.

Almost a year later, Harry went to his father's coronation, but Meghan stayed in California with the kids. It was suggested that Meghan wasn't there because it was Archie's birthday on the same day as the coronation.

While visiting, Harry didn't join the balcony event after the church ceremony; instead, he left right away for the airport.

Now, Harry's upcoming visit is being rumored as an ice breaker to the tense relations between his side of the family and Buckingham Palace.

The relationship between the Sussexes and King Charles has been strained since the couple stepped down from their senior royal roles in 2020. It was further worsened by the couple's public interviews about the royal family, the release of the couple's bombshell documentary "Harry & Meghan" and the duke's tell-all memoir "Spare."

Other royal books, such as Omid Scobie's "Endgame," also claimed that the relationship between Harry and his brother, Prince William, was broken due to William being critical of Harry's public comments about the family.

It remains to be seen how much Harry's visit will contribute to repairing their relationship. Currently, it is believed that Harry has only communicated with his father and has yet to contact William.

As for the King's cancer diagnosis, it is said to be unrelated to his recent hospital procedure for "benign prostate enlargement."

According to an official statement, the monarch has since "commenced a schedule of regular treatments," which would stop him from attending to "public-facing duties." However, he will "continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual."

The statement also mentioned the King's gratitude to his medical team for their "swift intervention" and that "he remains wholly positive about his treatment."

It further noted why the monarch chose to share his cancer diagnosis with the public rather than keep it private.

The statement read in part: "His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer."

A possible return for King Charles to full public duty remains unknown, but it is understood that he hopes to make such a return as soon as possible. It is also unclear whether his illness will stop him from attending very important royal events, such as marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day in June.