EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry has chosen to avoid staying at a royal residence on his upcoming visit to the UK and a meeting with his father King Charles is “highly unlikely”.

Prince Harry and King Charles were once extremely close (Image: Getty)

Prince Harry will be staying within a stone’s throw of Buckingham Palace during his upcoming trip to the United Kingdom but is unlikely to meet with his father, King Charles.

According to a well-placed source, the Duke of Sussex, 40, will be within a very short distance of his family’s main residence when he arrives in the capital for the WellChild Awards on September 30.

The news comes as Prince Harry took to the stage at a Kevin Costner charity event on Friday evening to honour fellow helicopter pilot Loren Courtney with an award.

At the Santa Barbara One805Live! fundraiser for first responders, Harry appeared solo as “sick” Meghan Markle was forced to miss the event after making an appearance last year.

The Duke of Sussex is also set to head to New York alone this week for a number of engagements, including an appearance at a Diana Award event to honour his late mother, before he heads to London for his scheduled engagement.

The Sunday Express is aware of where Prince Harry will be staying during his upcoming visit to London but has agreed to withhold the information for security reasons.

The source adds that although the prince has chosen to avoid staying at a royal residence, a meeting with his father King Charles, 75, has not been ruled out but is “highly unlikely”.

“The King is due to head south in late September,” said the source. “The King and Queen will mark the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament on September 28 and will have several free days afterwards.”

“There are currently discussions ongoing about finding a mutually agreeable place in the diary.”

However, the source adds that a father and son reunion is looking extremely doubtful due to the speed in which both will be in and out of the capital.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to Colombia was deemed a success (Image: Getty)

“If the King decides to head to London in the evening of Sunday 29 for meetings pencilled inearly that week, it is still looking highly unlikely that there will be time to meet with his son,” said the source. “It still hasn’t been decided if His Majesty will head to Highgrove or London on the tail end of Scotland or how his plans will pan out during that week.

“Harry is also making a flying visit and his travel plans have already been booked and organised.

“There still could be something worked out as nothing is set in stone but it doesn’t look promising.”

The last time King Charles and Prince Harry saw each other was in February when it was announced that the monarch had cancer and the prince flew from the US to see his father for just 45 minutes.

When the Duke returned in May, the King was too busy to meet, although His Majesty did offer his son accommodation in one of the royal properties, contrary to reports. Harry chose to stay in a hotel instead.

It has been made clear by sources close to the Sussexes on a number of occasions that the prince is keen to reconcile with his father.