King Charles has offered Prince Harry and his family the use of a royal residence and security arrangements during their upcoming visit to Britain — a trip that could either heal the rift or, as one former royal correspondent warns, make it “game over” if the King finds an excuse to avoid them.
The offer, reported by The Sun, extends to Harry, 41, his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 44, and their children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, who are expected to be in London and Birmingham between 6 and 10 July for a series of engagements connected to Harry’s charitable work, including an event marking one year until the Invictus Games 2027. It would be the children’s first visit to Britain in four years.
“King Charles offers Harry a royal residence and security for July visit; Bond warns if Charles avoids them, the rift will be permanent.”
The proposed visit follows Harry’s long-running dispute over security arrangements after he lost a High Court challenge concerning taxpayer-funded police protection. Harry has previously said it was “impossible” to bring his family to the UK without what he considered adequate protection. According to reports, new arrangements have now created conditions for what sources close to Harry describe as “a safe return”.
A source told The Sun: “(Harry) obviously saw his father in September, they speak regularly and there is a hope they will both be able to find time in their schedules to catch up when Harry is in the UK.” The duke is also understood to have scheduled “pockets of downtime” during the five-day visit in the hope of seeing Charles, who is believed to be maintaining a normal programme of engagements while Harry is in Britain.
Charles, 77, last met Archie and Lilibet during celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, which was also the last time Meghan returned to Britain — for the Queen’s funeral in September 2022. The Duchess is not expected to undertake separate public engagements during the trip but is expected to accompany Harry in support of his Invictus commitments.
Yet the meeting is far from assured. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, writing in The i newspaper, said: “If King Charles finds some excuse to avoid them, it’s game over. The rift will surely be permanent.” Bond noted that while Harry has said he has “forgiven his family”, the King faces “the most delicate balancing act” because Prince William’s anger towards his younger brother has reportedly not diminished since the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare. “If (King Charles) makes peace with his youngest son, his loyal and steadfast older son will have his nose royally put out of joint,” Bond observed, adding: “There is absolutely no sign of any thaw in the brotherly feud.”
The visit is being seen as a critical test of whether the fractured family can begin to rebuild, or whether the gulf will become permanent.