It was about 9am when the news broke of a significant rapprochement: Prince Harry had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace during his UK visit this week, a sign of healing after years of bad blood. The illusion lasted only about 15 minutes. Buckingham Palace announced that the duke would not be staying there after all, saying he had failed to respond to the offer by the deadline last week.
Royal sources said the duke had not formally accepted in time, and was informed on Saturday evening that the accommodation was no longer available. The Palace requires a minimum notice period to arrange staffing, they said. There were also concerns about the optics for King Charles, who has a position of neutrality, if Prince Harry delivered a controversial response to his high-profile court case against Associated Newspapers while staying at the symbolic HQ of the monarchy. The court result is due on Tuesday.
“Buckingham Palace says Prince Harry cannot stay there after his team announced he had accepted an invitation.”
A spokesperson for Prince Harry described the situation differently, claiming the offer had been “withdrawn” after it had been formally accepted – a decision they called “disappointing”. They rejected the court case as a factor, saying the timing was already known last week. “It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment,” the spokesman said.
The row marks a chaotic start to a week in which the duke, who arrived in the UK on Monday without his wife Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet, is to support his charities and promote the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. The buildup has been overshadowed by a dispute over security: Harry’s request for taxpayer-funded police protection was denied by the Home Office, and a review by the Risk Management Board has yet to take place. The King plays no part in security decisions.
It is now unlikely that King Charles will see his grandchildren, who have not met him face to face in four years. However, it has been suggested the Sussexes could meet the King at one of his country residences on Saturday, although a request has not been made. This acrimonious war of words – with both sides putting out contradictory versions – shows how much distrust and poor communication exists between the two camps, and could make a meeting between the King and Prince Harry even more complicated.