Prince Harry’s UK visit plans have shifted after the Duke of Sussex accepted an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace too late, according to reports.
Reports recently claimed that King Charles had offered royal accommodation before Harry’s imminent trip. Harry first reportedly turned it down on Saturday. He then changed his mind later that day.
However, HELLO! said he narrowly missed the deadline and his request couldn’t be facilitated or staffed. That means he will not stay at Buckingham Palace during his time in London this week.
His alternative accommodation remains unclear. Harry is due in the UK for a five-day trip starting on Tuesday.
He is expected to mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. According to reports, Harry’s wife Meghan Markle and the couple’s children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, will not travel to London.
The report linked that decision to security concerns and confusion over accommodation.
Why Prince Harry’s UK visit suddenly looks more complicated
Harry had initially been expected to stay alone at Buckingham Palace. The 775-room residence is undergoing a £369 million refurbishment.
- Prince Harry is due in the UK for a five-day trip beginning on Tuesday.
- He is expected to mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
- An Invictus Games Foundation event at Chatham House is listed among the planned engagements.
- He is also expected to meet Chelsea pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
- As patron of WellChild, he is due to visit Birmingham Children’s Hospital to mark the 20th anniversary of the first WellChild Nurse.
- At the NEC, he is expected to watch and take part in events alongside competitors from previous Invictus Games.
Security appears to sit at the heart of the problem. When Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020, their automatic taxpayer-funded security was downgraded. Harry has been appealing the decision for years for the sake of the safety of his family. Recently, ITV News saw a confidential risk assessment report that claimed the Duke of Sussex faced threats from six terrorist plots. The report said five of those alleged plots originated in the UK.
HELLO! said a pending assessment by the Risk Management Board remains a key step.
That assessment helps the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as RAVEC, decide his security needs. Harry reportedly learned on Friday that the official review had still not happened.
Even so, his security team is working behind the scenes to keep the trip on track. HELLO! also said Harry was looking at all available options.
As reported by ITV News, palace sources have concerns about Prince Harry staying in a royal residence on the day that the judgment is handed down in his long-running High Court case against the Daily Mail publisher.
Harry, along with several celebrity claimants, have sued the publisher over allegations of unlawful information gathering. Associated Newspapers Ltd has strongly rejected the claims.
Prince Harry statement
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex has said on Monday: “Following RAVEC’s decision not to provide security for his family, the duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend.
“It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason. Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.”
Could Prince Harry’s UK visit still lead to family time?
The accommodation twist has also raised fresh questions about whether Harry could see his father. HELLO! suggested the original offer of a royal residence looked like an olive branch from the king.
There is family significance here too. Archie and Lilibet last saw their grandfather in person during Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in 2022.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet last saw King Charles in person during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
According to the report, that visit was the only time Lilibet has met her grandfather in person.
- Archie was born in 2019.
- Lilibet was born in 2021.
- The Platinum Jubilee took place in June 2022.
HELLO! noted that this was the only time Lilibet has met him.
As for Prince Harry’s UK visit schedule, Harry is due to begin with an Invictus Games Foundation event at Chatham House. Experts, policymakers and members of the Invictus community will attend.
He is also expected to meet Chelsea pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. As patron of WellChild, he is due to visit Birmingham Children’s Hospital to mark the 20th anniversary of the first WellChild Nurse.
ED! has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.