The Duke of Sussex fears his children will not meet King Charles during a planned UK visit after the government declined his request for police protection. Prince Harry and Meghan had been planning their first family trip to Britain in four years for events related to the Invictus Games, due to be held in Birmingham in July.
The duke was said to have been excited for Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, to be reunited with the King. However, the trip now appears uncertain after the government rejected his request for police protection outside royal residences. A source close to Harry said on Sunday the prince was “distraught” and would not subject his children to being “chased by paparazzi wherever they go”.
The source told the Guardian that plans were “pulled out from under their feet at the 11th hour” and that Harry was exploring other options to make the trip happen safely. The visit would have been the first time King Charles had seen his youngest grandchildren since 2022, during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations.
Last year Harry lost a legal battle against the Home Office concerning automatic police protection while in the UK. He has since been granted a full risk assessment and was awaiting a final decision from the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec). A government spokesperson said: “The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate.”
