Prince Harry is weighing whether to bring his wife and children to the UK after his request for police protection was rejected, just days before the family was due to arrive. The Duke of Sussex, his wife Meghan, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, had planned their first family visit to the UK in four years, timed to mark the countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham. But on Friday, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) – the Home Office body that decides security provision for senior royals – told his team that no taxpayer-funded police protection would be provided. Sources say Harry is distraught, but still hopes to find a way to make the trip work.
To understand the row, it helps to know how royal security works. When Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020, they lost the automatic right to publicly funded police protection. Since then, Harry has challenged the decision. Last year, he lost a legal battle to secure regular police protection while visiting the UK. On previous trips, he has declined offers to stay at Buckingham Palace because of security concerns about using such a high-profile building. For this visit, he had accepted an invitation from King Charles to stay on a royal estate – but outside estate grounds, he would have to rely on his own private security team from California. That, his team argued, was insufficient for a family visit that included public engagements in London and the Midlands.
“An explainer on Prince Harry's security concerns and his family's planned UK visit”
Why does this matter for UK readers? First, the visit was itself significant: the first time Meghan would join Harry for UK engagements in six years, and the first time the King would see his grandchildren in person since the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. The trip was also meant to promote the Invictus Games, which Harry founded for injured military personnel; the Birmingham games are due to take place in July 2027. The security decision touches on broader questions about how the UK protects former working royals, how much public money should be spent on their safety, and what happens when a senior royal feels unsafe in his home country. Harry himself has said: 'I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point.'
Q: Why was Prince Harry's request for police protection rejected? Ravec, the committee that decides security for senior royals, told his team that no taxpayer-funded police protection would be provided. Harry had also lost a legal challenge last year to secure regular police protection when visiting the UK.
Q: How does the UK's security system for royals work? The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) – part of the Home Office – assesses security needs for senior members of the royal family. After Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties, their security was downgraded. Police protection is available while staying on a royal estate, but not for private travel off the estate.
Q: What are the Invictus Games and why was Harry planning to visit? Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games, an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured or sick military personnel. The next games will be held in Birmingham in July 2027, and the visit was intended to begin the one-year countdown. Harry also planned to visit other UK charities he supports.
What happens next? Harry is reconsidering whether to bring Meghan and the children; he may still travel alone or rely on his private security. The visit was scheduled for early July, lasting around five days. There is also speculation he might use the trip to introduce his children to his mother Diana's family – the Spencers – with whom he has stayed close. For now, the decision rests on whether a compromise can be reached before the family is due to arrive.