Revealed: King Charles met David Beckham privately while Prince Harry was in Britain - after the Duke said his father was too busy with 'various other priorities' to see him

King Charles met David Beckham to discuss his charitable foundation while Prince Harry was in the country, the Mail understands.

The Duke had said that his father was too busy attending to 'various other priorities' to see him while he was in Britain this week.

No pictures were released of the meeting and it is unknown where the pair met.

The revelation that the King met the former England captain, 49, while his son was home and attending an event two miles from Buckingham Palace may widen their rift further.

Prince Harry's visit was planned months in advance and while the King's visit this week to a barracks was called a 'surprise', his diary is also tightly choreographed.

But the Duke of Sussex had reportedly invited his father to St Paul's Cathedral for the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games although courtiers were not aware Harry had made any specific request to see the King.

The King met David Beckham to discuss his charitable foundation while Harry was in the UK, the Mail understands

Prince Harry and Meghan during in Abuja during a quasi-royal visit to Abuja

The Palace has remained tight-lipped as to why the two never met despite virtually crossing each other's paths.

While in the UK, the prince said it was 'great' to be back, but refused to rule out the possibility of him applying for American citizenship. 

In a previous Netflix series, Harry had also suggested that he had been blocked from seeing the late Queen, despite his grandmother inviting him and Meghan to stay. 

Harry rushed over in February when his father was first diagnosed with cancer, but only got a brief meeting with the monarch and Queen Camilla before they left for Sandringham.

Meanwhile the Duke of Sussex and his wife were given a rockstar's welcome during a trip to Nigeria.

Harry during his visit to Kaduna state in Nigeria. The prince has previously complained that he and his wife had been blocked from seeing royals, including his grandmother, the late Queen

Despite Foreign Office official advice warning against travel to several parts of the west African nation, Harry travelled to Kaduna state to visit a military hospital.

Leaving his wife in Abuja, the prince apologised for her absence as he arrived in the state, which is partly controlled by armed bandits and is known for reports of rapes and kidnappings.

The visit was dubbed a 'quasi-royal' tour, with Harry faced with accusations of 'hypocrisy' after travelling to high risk areas having raised concerns over his security back in the UK. 

On Monday, the King is due to hand over the colonelcy of the Army Air Corps to his other son and heir, Prince William.