Prince Harry heads to dinner with city financier Guy Monson instead of seeing ... trends now

Prince Harry will meet a millionaire financier after admitting King Charles was too busy to meet him in what experts said was a 'snub' that reflected the depth of their rift.

The Duke of Sussex arrived in the UK alone today after flying in from California for a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games in London tomorrow. Ahead of the service, Harry visited Armoury House this afternoon for an Invictus Games discussion called 'Realising a Global Community' hosted by Louise Minchin. 

The Prince had hoped to meet his estranged father the King during his trip, which follows a previous quick visit in February after Charles's cancer diagnosis. Harry's event was just three miles away from where Charles was, at Clarence House.

But Harry's spokesman said today: 'In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty's full programme.

'The Duke of course is understanding of his father's diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.'

Instead, as the Duke's foundation Archewell confirmed, he will meet city financier Guy Monson. 

Reacting to the news, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said: 'This, whatever the logistics, will be widely perceived as a snub.

'This is one of the most public rifts in the world. If it was handled in private without so much press speculation, it would have a better chance of being resolved.'

Royal expert Michael Cole agreed. He said: 'It is quite a snub. For the King to not see his younger son, Prince Harry, although the two men will be only two miles apart tomorrow afternoon, gives an indication of the depth of the divide.

'The Prodigal Son is not welcome - not for the present, anyway. In royal terms, this is big medicine. Prince Harry is bound to see it for what it is, the clearest possible indication of the hurt that has been caused.

'There can be no mistake: this is a royal flea in the ear for the fifth in line to the throne. Actions have consequences but rarely are they played out as starkly as they are here.

'Even Prince Harry, never the sharpest sword in the Household Cavalry, is bound to have got the message and many people will say, ''About time too''.'

Fellow royal expert Richard Palmer said: 'It's surprising if the King and Harry are not meeting at all and perhaps a sign of how much bridge-building still needs to be done. There's been much media speculation that father and son would meet. While that always looked like guessing, I'd have guessed they would meet too.'

Harry is understood to have had various Invictus Games commitments today, according to ITV. 

Monson, chief investment officer of Sarasin and Partners, a London-based £18billion investment fund, was alongside the warring brothers when they unveiled a statue of their mother Princess Diana in 2021 at Kensington Palace. It was Harry and William's last solo engagement together.

He was the former treasurer to the Cambridges and the Sussexes' joint foundation before Harry and Meghan quit as senior working royals and emigrated.

Monson is a trustee of the Invictus Games Foundation, founded by Harry, and was on the organising committee for its inaugural games. The Duke revealed he was having dinner with him while sharing an anecdote about the event in 2014. 

The city financier is married to Lady Rose Monson and they have two daughters, Olivia and Leonora. 

Educated at the University of Oxford - where he studied a Master's degree in PPE - Mr Monson is chief investment officer of £18billion investment fund Sarasin and Partners. 

He has also served as director of the Chatsworth House Trust, which looks after the iconic stately home in Derbyshire.  

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Tomorrow, the Duke is set to give a reading at a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral marking a decade since the inaugural competition in London in 2014.

Organisers had said there was no confirmation of any other royals attending, or if Harry's wife Meghan Markle or children Archie and Lilibet would also be in the UK.

But Harry arrived in London by himself today, and is expected to join the Duchess on a tour to Nigeria later this week with Meghan set to fly there from the US by herself.

Harry is also not anticipated to see his brother Prince William , who is scheduled to be away from the capital on Thursday and Friday, or his sister-in-law Kate Middleton whose cancer treatment continues following her revealing the diagnosis in March.

Earlier today, Charles was photographed being driven from Windsor Castle before arriving at Clarence House in London soon after. The King later held an audience nearby at Buckingham Palace with the Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka.

The Duke has invited William and other senior members of the Royal Family to the service but none of them are expected to attend, sources told Page Six in the US.

Among the royals who could attend include his cousins Zara Tindall and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, but there has been no confirmation of this. Harry is expected to stay at a hotel in London because he no longer has Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

Today, Harry paid tribute to the Invictus Games family's 'commitment, enthusiasm and belief' and joined an Invictus conference looking

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