King Charles has made it “absolutely clear” that Prince Harry will not be allowed to resume royal duties in a part-time capacity, despite their recent reunion in London.

The 76-year-old monarch and his son, 41, met earlier this month for private tea at Clarence House. It was their first face-to-face interaction in 19 months, sparking speculation that relations between the pair might be softening. Some royal watchers suggested the meeting could pave the way for a new role for Harry within the institution.

But insiders have firmly dismissed that possibility. “The king is a forgiving man but has been absolutely clear in upholding his late mother’s decision that there cannot be ‘half-in, half-out’ members of the working royal family,” a palace source told the Mail on Sunday. One insider dismissed talk of a royal reset, saying, “Whoever is behind those reports seems to have mistaken a brief tea and a slice of cake for the Treaty of Versailles.”

Harry stepped down as a senior royal in 2020 and moved to California with Meghan Markle and their two children. Since then, he has built a new life away from palace structures, signing multi-million-dollar media deals and continuing his work with the Invictus Games. According to a source close to him, any discussion about returning to official duties was “put to bed years ago,” adding, “The duke has made it clear that the focus has to be on his dad.”