Prince Harry shared a story about his daughter during a visit to Britain against the backdrop of questions over whether he had met his father and brother.
The Duke of Sussex's spokesperson said in May that he hoped to see his father soon after being unable to arrange a visit during a previous trip to the U.K.
Charles was last seen publicly at church in Scotland on Sunday, while his next engagement in London is not until Wednesday, which all means father and son are not believed to have met.
That will make this the third consecutive trip where there has been no public indication that they have met, despite the king being diagnosed with cancer and beginning treatment in February.
Harry and his brother Prince William both attended their uncle's funeral in August, though the vicar suggested they were not seen speaking to each other.
Harry put speculation over royal relations to one side as he brought some stardust to the WellChild Awards, which honors children with complex health issues, at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Monday.
The prince was seen chatting to six-year-old Noah Nicholson, who threw his toys at Harry, who in turn spotted a very familiar looking cuddly giraffe among them.
"Is this the same one? No way!" he said. "Every parent has a spare. I've got at least six spares. My daughter Lili has these Lovies."
Noah at one stage grabbed Harry's beard as the pair joked around during the event, and when the youngster's mother apologized to Harry for the toys he replied: "Don't apologize, I love it."
During a speech, Harry said: "As a parent, I know a little about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting.
"But, when I hear about the care many of you mums, dads and family members provide; the level of round-the-clock care you offer; the skills you've had to learn; and the battles for support that you fight every single day—I am truly in awe."
The prince's relationship with his father has been the subject of much speculation in Britain since he jumped on a plane in February to see Charles in the hours after the king's cancer diagnosis.
The king held up his helicopter from London to Sandringham, in the east of England, but still only managed a brief meeting with his second son.
However, the prince then failed to see Charles in May and went public, indicating his father had "other priorities."
Prince Harry's spokesperson said at the time: "In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week, it, unfortunately, will not be possible due to His Majesty's full program.
"The duke of course is understanding of his father's diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon."
Those last five words have served to raise significant questions about how strong their relationship is. While it is always difficult to be certain where the royals are concerned, Harry and Charles are not thought to have met since.
If true, that would cast a bleak shadow across relations between the royal family and Prince Harry.
On the other hand, it is always possible they have met and the two camps have finally stopped talking to the media about the issue.
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
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