Prince Harry and King Charles' fractured relationship appears to have reached a truce — a major step forward could be giving his children princely titles

King Charles and the Duke of Sussex appear to be displaying a united front as the world mourns Queen Elizabeth II.

• Prince Harry and King Charles' rift appears to have subsided since his accession.
• The father and son have made several gestures honoring each other since the Queen's death.
• It could be Charles' decision as to whether Archie and Lilibet receive royal titles.

Prince Harry's reported rift with his father, King Charles, appears to have been put to one side following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. 

The Queen died at her Balmoral estate at the age of 96. Her eldest son, who was formerly known as Prince Charles, automatically ascended the throne upon her death and his title was changed to King Charles III.

Harry told Oprah Winfrey last year that his relationship with Charles struggled because of his and Meghan Markle's step back from royal duties in January 2020. He said that Charles stopped taking his calls amid conversations about his royal exit, and that he was financially cut off from the royal family. 

But the father and son appear to be displaying a united front during the UK's mourning period for the Queen. In his first speech as king on Friday, Charles mentioned his "love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas."

As Charles was officially sworn in as monarch by the Accession Council on Saturday, he used an ink pot that was a joint gift from Harry and William, according to Roya Nikkhah, royal editor for The Sunday Times.

Harry also paid tribute to his father in his first statement since the death of Queen Elizabeth on Monday. While the speech mostly honored the Queen's legacy, it also mentioned his father.

"I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III," Harry said in part of a statement shared on his Archewell website.

Now that the pair's relationship appears to be in a stable place, a major step forward would be if the king grants Harry's children princely titles.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children are entitled to royal titles upon Charles' accession 

As Insider's Maria Noyen previously reported, Harry and Markle's children could soon be known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet upon the accession of King Charles.

According to a law set out by King George V in 1917, known as the Letters Patent, all royals who are either the children or the grandchildren of the sovereign through a male line can hold the titles of prince and princess, Tatler reported.

While the royal line of succession has been updated to reflect Prince William and Kate Middleton's new titles — the Prince and Princess of Wales — no such changes have been made to Archie and Lilibet's titles. 

Harry and Markle's children are currently styled as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor on the royal website. 

During Markle and Harry's interview with Winfrey last year, the couple said that there were talks about denying Archie a princely title and suggested this was due to race. 

Markle told Winfrey that while she was pregnant with Archie "they" — possibly the members of the royal household — "were saying they didn't want him to be a prince… which would be different from protocol." Markle said her son would be "the first member of color in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be."

A statement released by Buckingham Palace on behalf of the Queen after the interview said "the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."

It's not clear why the titles have not yet been officially changed following Charles' accession to the throne. When asked about the children's titles on Sunday, a spokesperson for the king said the royal website would be updated "as and when we get information," according to Hello! magazine.

Buckingham Palace and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.