Prince Harry may be running out of time to give his children what could become one of the most important meetings of their young lives.

The Duke of Sussex is reportedly distraught after his hoped-for U.K. return with Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet was thrown into chaos at the 11th hour — raising heartbreaking fears that his children may never see King Charles in person again.

Charles, 77, has spent the past year battling cancer, and while the palace has tried to project calm, the reality is impossible to ignore. The king is an aging monarch facing serious health concerns, and every delayed family reunion now carries a painful question.

What if there is no next time?

Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, had been expected to bring their family to Britain next month around Invictus Games events in Birmingham. The trip was supposed to include charity visits, time with friends, and a deeply emotional reunion between Charles and his two California-based grandchildren.

But those plans have now been plunged into doubt after the British government reportedly refused Harry’s request for police protection.

A source close to Harry told The Guardian that the family’s plans had been “pulled out from under their feet at the 11th hour.”

Now Harry is said to be desperately searching for another way to bring his wife and children safely across the Atlantic.

“He’s looking at every option to try and get the family here safely and keep them safe when they’re on the ground,” the insider said. “If he can find a way to do that he will.”

But for Harry, this is no ordinary travel headache. This is about a father, a son, and two children who have barely known their grandfather.

Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, have not been in the U.K. since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. That means Charles has gone years without seeing the grandchildren who live an ocean away in California.

And with the king’s health under a constant cloud, the delay could carry devastating consequences.

“The hope is they can meet their grandfather,” the source said. “But there is no way that can happen if they are chased by paparazzi wherever they go from the moment they step off the plane. He won’t put his children through that.”

Harry has made clear he does not believe it is safe to bring Meghan and their children back to Britain without proper protection.

After losing his legal appeal over the removal of his automatic police security, Harry told the BBC he could not see a future where he would bring his family back to the U.K. under the current circumstances.

“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” Harry said.

He admitted the situation was heartbreaking because it meant Archie and Lilibet were missing out on his homeland, his history and the world he came from.

“The things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything,” Harry said. “I miss the U.K., I miss parts of the U.K., of course I do. I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”

Behind palace walls, the failed reunion could be crushing for Charles.

The king has endured years of bitter public drama with Harry and Meghan, but he is still a grandfather. Insiders have claimed Harry was desperate for Archie and Lilibet to see him, especially as the monarch continues to navigate his health battle.

The Sussexes were also reportedly considering a visit to Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire, where Princess Diana is buried — a private, emotional stop that would have connected Archie and Lilibet to the grandmother they never got to meet.

Instead, the trip has become another royal mess.

One source told The Mail on Sunday that the Sussex office had signaled the whole family would be coming to the U.K. and had accepted royal accommodation, only for the plans to suddenly collapse.

“It’s a total joke and a farce,” the insider claimed.

Critics are already seizing on the drama, with one source accusing the couple of playing into the hands of those who believe they “court drama” for publicity.

But for Harry, the fear appears far more personal.

This is not just about bad headlines, palace tension or another Sussex controversy. It is about whether his children will get one more chance to see their grandfather while they still can.

Charles may be king, but he is also a man in his late 70s fighting cancer. Archie and Lilibet are growing up fast. And Harry knows better than most how quickly a family can be shattered by loss.

Unless a last-minute security solution is found, the king could once again be left waiting for grandchildren he rarely sees.

And Harry may be left haunted by the fear that he waited too long.