Prince Harry is set to arrive in London this week without the Duchess of Sussex and their two children, after last-minute changes to the itinerary over security concerns. The Duke of Sussex’s five-day trip will begin on Tuesday in London before moving to Birmingham, which next year hosts the Invictus Games for injured military veterans. But a detailed plan initially issued included Meghan – until worries about safety prompted her and the children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, to stay away from the capital at the start of the visit.
The couple have not been together in London since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and the latest chopping and changing has done little to ease family tensions. “You can almost imagine Palace officials rolling their eyes and muttering, ‘Nightmare’,” said a BBC royal correspondent. Harry has always been intensely sensitive around his family’s safety, and from inside Team Sussex the mood remains determined. It is understood he is looking forward to seeing friends and family, and that nothing will sour his chance to support his Invictus “second family”.
“Prince Harry will visit the UK this week without his wife Meghan and their children due to security concerns.”
The visit is intended to prepare for the Games and attend charity events, but whether fairly or not, the focus will inevitably fall on whether there are any signs of bridges being built between the returning Sussexes and their royal relations. The uncertainty over Meghan’s presence – she and the children might still join later in the week elsewhere in the UK – adds to the drama.
Adding another layer, the outcome of Prince Harry’s court case against Associated Newspapers over allegations of unlawful information gathering is expected while he is in the country. Meghan will not be in the UK when that ruling is published. The cliffhanger of whether she and the children ultimately appear will hang over the week, a reminder of a family feud that continues to play out like a soap opera.