The prince left the country elated after Archie and Lilibet reunited with the King

Prince Harry "has reasons to be optimistic" despite his crushing court defeat and "messy" UK trip, according to a royal commentator.

Amid the disarray, Harry's UK visit ultimately landed him the biggest success he was looking for, reconciliation between his family and King Charles.

While no details have been made public, Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet all visited Highgrove, the King's private estate in Gloucestershire, on Friday evening for tea, staying for around an hour.

It was the meeting that the duke had craved since announcing the trip.

The gathering also followed a successful Invictus Games One Year To Go ceremony, in which an enthused Harry took part in a plethora of sports with military veterans, former Labour minister Al Carns, and TV personality Alison Hammond.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said these two engagements show the trip ended on a positive note, and Harry should remain "optimistic".

"They've seen the King. He's seen his grandchildren, which is what he wanted," he told GB News.

"He also has reason to be optimistic because Invictus is a remarkable creation - everyone agrees, and it was his."

However, Mr Fitzwilliams added: "But the court case was a bad blow to him, and the early part of that trip was a complete mess."

The Duke of Sussex's return to his homeland was shrouded in chaos from the get-go.

After announcing he would make the journey alongside his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, it took just a matter of days to U-turn, when it was revealed that his application for a security package had been denied.

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The duke released a statement insisting he would continue to "explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the UK."

The statement also said that "the issue has never been accommodation" - but that also led to confusion, when, hours before his arrival, Harry's spokesman announced he would be staying at Buckingham Palace, only for the Palace to turn around and refuse.

Harry's spokesman said: "He was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend," and added it was "disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn".

The blows didn't stop after he landed in the UK either, after the prince suffered an agonising and costly court defeat against the Daily Mail's publisher, which Harry claimed was a "complete and obvious whitewash".

And finally, on the eve of his beloved Invictus Games' 2027 One Year To Go ceremony, Meghan pulled out of attending the event, leaving Harry to attend solo.

But matter not, because Harry arrived with a smile brimmed from ear to ear. Ultimately, it was deduced that, other than partaking in undoubtedly enjoyable sports such as wheelchair rugby and pickleball, what had really led to his delight was that there was an agreement for his family to meet the King.

Moving forward, Mr Fitzwilliams said the Sussexes "may have learnt a few lessons" from the disorder the trip has found itself in. However, ultimately, it could lead to more visits in the near future.