Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's highly anticipated UK visit this month is now uncertain after plans changed following the rejection of Harry's demand for automatic police protection. The couple's Director of Communications, Liam Maguire, created a secret WhatsApp group that included a select few people who received the latest news before anyone else.
WhatsApp Group Reveals Operational Details
According to Richard Eden writing for the Daily Mail, the WhatsApp group sent a long "operational note" detailing the couple's itinerary after landing in the UK. The note confirmed that the family would stay at a royal residence and that their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lillibet, would accompany them.
However, less than 24 hours later, the plans changed after it was reported that the Home Office had rejected Harry's request for taxpayer-funded police protection. Eden noted: "Spare a thought for the BBC’s poor viewers and website users! Less than 24 hours after they had been informed, with all the authority that the Corporation could muster, that something was going to happen, they were now being told that it might not happen at all."
Security Concerns Disrupt Plans
Eden added: "The reporters should be forgiven. As royal correspondents, they are used to receiving briefing notes that help them cover events. The palace notes are usually factual, so the journalists might have expected Harry and Meghan’s messages to be equally trustworthy. Fat chance. What makes it worse is that nothing actually changed between Friday and Saturday."
A spokesperson for the duke said he was still exploring every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the UK.
Background on Security Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to Montecito, California, after stepping down from their working royal roles. After the move, Harry's security arrangements changed, and he has faced ongoing difficulties. In February 2020, the Home Office decided he would no longer receive automatic police protection on the same terms as a working royal, with security instead assessed case by case. Harry challenged that decision in court and lost a High Court case in 2024, before going on to appeal.
The couple plan to spend five days in the UK, from July 7 to July 11. The trip will mark one year to the start of the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham in 2027.
