Harry and Meghan step out in California after his reunion with King Charles
Prince Harry was seen publicly for the first time alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, in the United States after his anticipated meeting with his father, King Charles III.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex unexpectedly attended the One805LIVE! concert held in Carpinteria, California, on Saturday, September 20. This marked Harry's third consecutive year attending the fundraiser, which benefits Santa Barbara County’s emergency personnel.
Reports indicate that Meghan met Harry backstage at the event, and they later made a brief appearance on stage to honor Santa Barbara County Fire Chief, Mark Hartwig, with an award. The musical event took place at Hollywood icon Kevin Costner’s beachfront estate, showcasing acts like country star Trisha Yearwood, rock band Good Charlotte, and R&B vocalist Thelma Houston, among others.
The organizers characterized the One805LIVE! gathering as “a memorable night of melodies, solidarity, and appreciation for our First Responders.”
Prince Harry's Comments Regarding His Much-Anticipated Meeting with King Charles III
“One805LIVE! serves as our primary yearly fundraising concert, gathering renowned performers and dedicated advocates to secure funding for vital equipment and mental health initiatives for Santa Barbara County’s emergency services,” the organization detailed on its official site.
Santa Barbara has been home to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since 2020, following their temporary residence at friend Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills mansion upon their initial relocation from Canada to the U.S. (Harry and Meghan resided at Frogmore Cottage adjacent to Windsor Castle during the initial years of their marriage, prior to stepping back from their royal roles in January 2020.)
Harry experienced a busy several weeks, having recently arrived back in the U.S. after traveling to his home country, the U.K., for the WellChild Awards and also undertaking an official visit to Ukraine. During his time in London, he saw his father King Charles III again for the first time in 19 months, having a private discussion at Clarence House on September 10.
An insider exclusively informed Us Weekly that the father and son made amends after King Charles was sent “a personal letter from Harry some months prior” conveying “his [Harry’s] wish to re-establish contact.” Harry conversed with his father for approximately 54 minutes before needing to depart for an Invictus Games-related engagement.
“They were getting up to speed on a personal level regarding the children and updates concerning Charles’s well-being,” an internal source shared with Us. “The encounter included embraces and emotional moments.”
Given Charles’s diagnosis with an unspecified type of cancer in February 2024, the discussion was probably emotionally intense. After their meeting, Harry communicated to The Guardian that “the priority truly needs to be on my father” for the upcoming year.
When questioned whether this reconciliation made a family relocation back to the U.K. more probable, Harry responded: “This past week has certainly made that prospect more immediate.” (Harry and Meghan are parents to two children: a son, Prince Archie, aged 6, and a daughter, Princess Lilibet, aged 4.)
Us has discovered that, despite Harry and King Charles now having an improved relationship, tension persists between the prince and his sibling, William.
“Lingering friction remains with William and Kate,” an insider exclusively shared with Us on Monday, September 15. “They feel profoundly wounded by the public revelations, details from the memoir, and interviews criticizing their positions, seeing these as betrayals of trust that demand considerable time for recovery, which explains why they haven't moved past it.”
Concurrently, Meghan marked her husband’s homecoming to the U.S. after his European journey through the official Instagram profile of her As Ever brand on September 14.
Accompanying an image depicting two wine glasses, she captioned: “When your partner returns home…”
