King Charles allegedly held a private meeting with David Beckham after being unable to meet with his son Prince Harry during his visit to the United Kingdom earlier this week. According to The Times, the 49-year-old former England football captain had a “private meeting” with the 75-year-old to discuss King Charles’ charity, the King’s Foundation. on Friday. “Beckham is understood to have visited Charles to learn more about his charity, the King’s Foundation,” the outlet said.

The Duke of Sussex arrived in the UK on May 7 for events marking the anniversary of his Invictus Games. His spokesman had said that he won’t meet his father, who is undergoing cancer treatment. “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,” said the spokesman.

The statement said, “The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”

However, according to news agency AFP, it was expected that the pair would meet at some point during his latest trip.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are on a brief tour of Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games, an international sporting event that the Duke of Sussex started a decade ago for troops injured in action. During their first trip to Nigeria, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the school as one of their first stops. They were invited to Nigeria by the country’s highest-ranking military official, the Chief of Defence Staff.

Meanwhile, at a reception for military families in Abuja, Prince Harry spoke in Nigeria of the tragic loss of the “brave souls” in the country’s military who had lost their lives in conflicts and said he felt “goosebumps” after seeing plans for a new centre to rehabilitate injured troops.

He said he had on Friday met 50 wounded soldiers during a trip to northern Kaduna and could see that the injuries were defining their lives, but there were some who had smiles on their faces. Nigerian forces are fighting jihadists in the northeast of the country and armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest. “What this proved to me, what this reminds me of, is the power of seeing what is possible post-injury,” said the 39-year-old, adding that “seeing the plans for the new Invictus Centre gives me goosebumps.”

London:

Prince Harry is set to return to the United Kingdom next month to commemorate a significant milestone of the Invictus Games, the sporting event he established a decade ago, CNN reported.

Scheduled for May 8th, Prince Harry will deliver a reading at a ceremony in London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, marking ten years since the inception of the Invictus Games. His last visit to the UK was in February, following the announcement of his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis.

Reflecting on his swift trip, Harry expressed his gratitude for being able to spend time with his family during such a challenging time. However, it remains unclear if he will have the opportunity to meet with his relatives during his upcoming visit.

Since relocating to the United States with his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in 2020, Prince Harry has made occasional visits to the UK, including attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and his father’s coronation last year, as reported by CNN.

As for Meghan’s attendance at the Invictus celebration, it remains uncertain, particularly considering the proximity to their son Prince Archie’s fifth birthday on May 6th.

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles, who is undergoing treatment, will resume public duties soon. While his schedule will be managed carefully in consultation with his medical team, he is expected to welcome Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako for a state visit in June.

The Invictus Games, initiated by Prince Harry after his service in Afghanistan, serve as a platform for supporting the recovery of wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans.

The next edition of the games is scheduled to take place in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, in February 2025, featuring over 500 competitors from 20 nations participating in adaptive sports. Additionally, winter sports, including Alpine skiing, snowboarding, and Nordic skiing, will be introduced for the first time, in partnership with First Nations communities as part of efforts towards truth and reconciliation, CNN reported.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)