Prince Harry will not stay at a royal residence during his return to the UK after an offer from King Charles III to stay at Buckingham Palace was withdrawn at the last moment. The decision came as the judgment in Harry's High Court privacy case against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, is expected on Tuesday.
Offer and Withdrawal
Harry initially turned down the King's offer on Saturday, which had been extended to his wife Meghan and children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The trio had originally planned to accompany him to London but are no longer making the trip. Later that day, Harry changed his mind and asked to stay at the palace himself.
According to sources, the appropriate hospitality and staffing provision was no longer available. Buckingham Palace also believed the longstanding legal case had complicated the matter and could compromise the King's constitutional position. A spokesperson for the palace stated that while every effort was made to facilitate Harry's stay, the Household requires a minimum level of notice to ensure proper hosting at a royal residence.
Legal Case Context
Harry and several other celebrities are awaiting a written ruling by Mr Justice Nicklin on Tuesday in their High Court privacy cases against Associated Newspapers. During the 10-week trial, the claimants alleged that dozens of Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday stories were based on unlawfully obtained information.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said: "I am aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting that the Duke had not accepted the offer of accommodation at a Royal Residence. Following RAVEC's decision not to provide security for his family, the duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend. It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday's judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason. Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment."
Security and Family Reunion
There were hopes that the King would reunite with his youngest grandchildren for the first time in four years. Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, last saw their grandfather in person during Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations in 2022.
Harry has been engaged in a protracted legal battle with the Home Office over security arrangements for him and his family in the UK, after his level of protection changed when he stepped down as a working royal in 2020. After losing a Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office last year, Harry expressed hopes of reconciliation with his family in a BBC interview, revealing that King Charles would not speak to him because of his security court case. He added: "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 that they're going to miss is, well, everything you know."
Since moving to California, Harry has made a series of accusations against the King, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton in his Oprah interview, Netflix documentary, interviews, and his autobiography Spare.
