Prince Harry is reconsidering plans to bring his wife Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, to the UK next month after his request for police protection was rejected just days before the family was due to arrive. The Duke of Sussex, who lives in California, had been told on Friday that no taxpayer-funded security would be provided for the five-day visit, which was timed to mark the start of the countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham. Sources say Harry is distraught at the decision, made by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), but he still hopes to find a way to make the trip work.
The family had accepted an offer to stay on a royal estate as a guest of King Charles, though the location has not been made public. Police protection would be available while on the estate, but outside those times Harry would have to rely on his private security team from California. On previous visits, he has declined offers to stay at Buckingham Palace over security concerns. Last year, he lost a legal battle to secure regular police protection when visiting the UK. In a BBC interview at the time, he said: “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point and the things they’re going to miss is, well, everything. You know I love my country, I always have done despite what some people in the country have done.”
“Prince Harry may not bring Meghan and children to UK after police protection was rejected days before their planned visit.”
Despite the setback, Harry is predicted to visit two surprising relatives during his trip: his maternal aunts, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, and his uncle Earl Spencer. Daily Mail senior editor-at-large Richard Kay told Palace Confidential that Harry is “particularly close to his aunts” and that the Spencer family has acted as a “bridge” between him and the Royal Family. Meghan was planning to join her husband on public engagements in London and the Midlands, including her first UK engagement in six years—a hospital visit. The king last saw his grandchildren in person during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Now, with security denied, the question remains whether Harry will bring his family at all.