Buckingham Palace's decision to withdraw an offer of accommodation to Prince Harry just hours before he arrived in the UK is “not a good sign”, according to a former royal staff member. The Duke of Sussex landed in London on Monday without his wife Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Last-Minute Invite Revoked
On Monday, Prince Harry’s team announced that the duke had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace during his UK trip. However, shortly after, the Palace stated that Harry would not be staying at the London residence. Officials suggested the change was due to Harry accepting the invitation too late, leaving insufficient time to make arrangements.
Grant Harrold, a former royal butler who worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011, disputed this explanation. Speaking exclusively to OLBG and reported by the Daily Express, Harrold said: “To be honest, I find it hard to believe that this is a logistical issue. While I know staff and the family themselves like to be very organised due to their very busy schedules, with something as important as this, I really hope they could have made it work.”
Relationship Concerns
Harrold emphasised that the Palace is capable of arranging stays at short notice, suggesting the revocation was more about the strained relationship between Prince Harry and King Charles. “I am assuming that there would have been a time frame in which Harry had to confirm if he would be staying at the palace. Regardless, though, I do not believe that the family couldn’t arrange it at the last minute; they can organise and implement stays quite quickly,” he said.
He added: “I think the decision to revoke the invitation is incredibly upsetting, not just in terms of this trip but also for the wider picture. It’s not a good sign in terms of their work to repair their relationship.” Harrold further speculated: “I believe it was more a case of Harry being difficult, so the King has just made a call to revoke the invitation entirely.”
Harry's UK Engagements
Upon arriving in London on Monday evening, Harry attended the UK premiere of “Shoot The People” at Picturehouse Central. He is scheduled to step out for further engagements today. The duke’s visit comes amid ongoing tensions within the royal family, and the accommodation dispute has reignited speculation about the state of his relationship with his father, King Charles.
