Prince Harry visited a relative in the royal family without telling anyone during his trip to the UK

Prince Harry’s Quiet Tribute

Prince Harry’s U.K. visit over four days was not only a bridge between him and his father, King Charles — their first meeting in almost two years — but also a hush-hush tour of another member of the royal family.
On Sept. 20, Hello! reported that the 41-year-old royal went to Kensington Palace on a “very personal call to pay his respects and to give his condolences” to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, after the death of his wife, Katharine, the Duchess of Kent. She died on Sept. 4 at 92 years of age.

A Brief but Meaningful Visit

The16th of September, Harry, who had already left the U.K., was therefore unable to attend Katharine’s funeral. However, a source close to the Duke of Sussex told Hello! that he “loved catching up with family, friends and colleagues.”
“His only regret was not being able to stay longer and see more people, but the meetings in Ukraine had been in the diary for a long time, and it mattered to him to be there in person to see the Invictus Games Foundation’s growing work and the progress at Superhumans,” said the source.
They further said, “The entire visit went over very well with all the people meeting. Despite his enthusiasm for the causes to which he is a patron, he still does not lose his passion — he is already looking forward to his return to London and doing more.”

Harry’s Public Appearances

The Duke of Sussex was out and about while he was in the U.K. He attended the WellChild Awards in London on Sept. 8, where he interacted with the children whom he stooped to greet, hugged families affectionately, and exchanged a lot of smiles.
Next day in Nottingham, Harry went to the Community Recording Studio (CRS) with his usual spirit, he entered the place dancing, talking and joking with the young activists.
“He hasn’t changed a bit,” said Trevor Rose of CRS. “He still needs to be there with you and that’s why he feels the energy. He cares — and that’s the main thing.”

Meeting With King Charles

Harry’s trip was made really memorable by the encounter with King Charles which was on Sept. 10. It was a private meeting that the monarch and the Duke had been looking forward to for a long time. The Duke of Sussex left the scene after putting his foot in just under an hour — a meeting which royal commentators were rapidly identifying as a potential change of direction.
“It’s a huge move towards the right direction,” Ailsa Anderson, Queen Elizabeth’s former spokeswoman, told PEOPLE. “It is a relationship of trust.”

A Step Toward Reconciliation

Harry and King Charles, 76, had a reunion after more than a year and a half. As PEOPLE has earlier mentioned, it wasn’t just a chance for the Duke of Sussex to have a fatherly moment but also to open the door to his brother, Prince William.
Despite the meeting being perceived as a positive sign of progress, the royal insiders still emphasize that the distance between them is quite significant, and a real reconciliation will require time.
“It indicates the path going forward,” a source close to both sides told PEOPLE. “It is a good point of departure.”

Shifting Focus and Anticipating

Only a few days after seeing King Charles, Harry flew to Kyiv, Ukraine, in an unannounced manner. He was there with the Invictus Games Foundation. While at the location, he talked to The Guardian, stating that he is now focusing on a different aspect of his life.
“To my father, the focus really has to be,” he mentioned, while also pointing out his past confessions in interviews and in his book Spare. “My conscience is quite clear.”
On being asked whether he would bring his children to the U.K. if the security situation remained, he said, “I would, yes. It has definitely made it more real this week.”

Returning Home

“No matter what has happened in the past, it is a nice sight to see the family at least trying to get in touch or fix the situation,” a palace insider shared with PEOPLE. “Everybody should extend sympathy to all parties concerned.”
After travelling to the U.K. and Ukraine, Harry flew back to Montecito, California, to have a family reunion with Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. On Sept. 20, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex went to the One805LIVE! concert — a benefit for Santa Barbara County’s first responders — that was held at Kevin Costner’s beachside mansion.