Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Harry will not be residing at the palace during his visit to London this week, despite his team announcing earlier that he had accepted an invitation to do so. Royal sources indicate that the Duke of Sussex had failed to formally respond to the offer of accommodation at a Royal residence before the deadline at the end of last week, and was informed over the weekend that staying at Buckingham Palace was no longer possible.
Notice Period and Security Concerns
It is understood that the palace requires a minimum notice period to ensure a guest can be properly hosted and that Royal Household staff can be adequately arranged. Prince Harry is travelling to the UK for a number of charity engagements, and to promote the Invictus Games, scheduled to be held in Birmingham next year.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry is said to have acknowledged that, contrary to their earlier statement, they understood the offer to stay at the palace had now been "withdrawn" — a decision they described as disappointing.
Insider Sources Comment on Tensions
One insider told the Mirror: "This whole business has become incredibly tiresome and it remains unresolved less than 24 hours before the Duke is supposed to be arriving. The King takes his public work incredibly seriously and there will be no last minute deviations to his plans."
The prince had originally planned to travel alongside Meghan and their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five. It has been four years since the children last saw their grandfather face to face, during the late Queen's platinum jubilee celebrations.
Police Protection Appeal Denied
The King had offered to put the family up at an unnamed royal residence, yet it was reported at the end of June that the prince's request for taxpayer-funded police protection had recently been denied. Sources have emphasised that King Charles plays no part in decisions regarding his son's security arrangements.
Last year, Harry lost a legal battle with the government over his security in the UK, after it was downgraded in 2020 when he decided to stop being a working member of the Royal Family.
The prince has been awaiting a decision from Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), the committee responsible for determining security arrangements for royalty and public figures, following a personal appeal made in December last year. The committee was scheduled to convene in March and would have provided a more comprehensive assessment of the possible threats facing the duke and his family, however the meeting failed to take place.
Impact on Family Visit
Following the rejection of his appeal last year, Harry told the BBC that he "can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point". It is understood that he will now not be accompanied by his wife Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, during his time in London, following confirmation that the family would not be granted taxpayer-funded police protection. However, it remains possible that they could join Prince Harry in Birmingham to support the Invictus Games later in the week.
