Prince William "cannot and would not" get involved in his brother Prince Harry's battle for taxpayer-funded security during his upcoming visit to the UK, according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond. The Prince of Wales "knows how important it is to protect your family," but has refused to intervene in the ongoing security dispute, Bond said.
Harry's UK Visit and Security Concerns
Prince Harry is set to travel to London this week without his wife Meghan Markle and their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five. A decision has yet to be made on whether the family will join Harry for other parts of the UK visit. The Duke of Sussex has faced a protracted legal battle with the Home Office over security arrangements after his protection level changed when he stepped down as a working royal in 2020.
Speaking to The Mirror, Bond said: "William must surely have been paying attention to the row over Harry's security. He could hardly avoid it. I would have thought it was one area where he might have a measure of sympathy for his brother." She added: "He knows just how important it is to protect your family. Like me, he might wonder why the decision has been taken not to give Harry and his family security for this very short period of time. But obviously, this is a decision which he cannot and would not get involved in."
Trust Issues and Family Rift
The former royal correspondent noted that trust remains a major issue for William, particularly after Harry's public revelations about the Royal Family in his autobiography Spare. Bond suggested this breach of trust may be something William cannot forgive. The security row has deepened the rift between the brothers, with Harry reportedly left "devastated and close to tears" by the failure to secure protection for the trip, which marks the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.
According to a source quoted by Vanity Fair, Harry "had assumed that because he was bringing the kids, and the King had made a royal residence available to them, he would get what he has been pushing for all along - full time police protection." The source added: "That has not been the case. The King has made it clear that while he wants to see his estranged son and grandchildren, he will not intervene in security matters."
Previous Legal Challenges and Reconciliation Hopes
Harry lost a Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office last year. In a subsequent BBC interview, he expressed hopes of reconciliation with his family, revealing that King Charles would not speak to him because of the security court case. Harry 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 that they're going to miss is, well, everything, you know."
Archie and Lilibet last saw their grandfather, King Charles, in person during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. The ongoing security dispute has prevented them from visiting the UK since then.
