Prince Harry is reportedly planning to bring his own security team when he returns to the UK next month with Meghan Markle and their children, despite an offer of accommodation at a royal residence. The Duke of Sussex is said to be keen to reunite with King Charles and introduce Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, who have not visited the UK for four years.
Security Arrangements Under Scrutiny
The trip is expected to revive questions over Harry's security arrangements after his long-running dispute with the Home Office over police protection. Although the prince reportedly spends around $3 million (£2.2 million) a year on private security in the United States, he has yet to regain automatic armed police protection while in Britain. Sources told Page Six that the Sussexes have been offered accommodation at a royal residence, where security is already provided, but Harry is expected to travel with members of his own security team.
One source familiar with the arrangements said the family will fly on a commercial flight rather than by private jet, adding: "Harry always travels with one or two of his own security team."
Visit Linked to Invictus Games
The visit is expected to coincide with the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham from 7 to 10 July next year, reports Page Six. According to the report, Harry hopes to use the trip to see his father, who has had few opportunities to spend time with his grandchildren.
The source claimed the visit would inevitably attract significant attention. "They know it will make the biggest spectacle," the source said of Harry and Meghan. "They will want photos of them being 'royal.'" Speculation has also centred on whether Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes could release a photograph of the King with Archie and Lilibet. Although the children have appeared on Meghan's Instagram account and in promotions for her As Ever lifestyle brand, their faces have only rarely been shown in full.
Security Limitations and Legal Context
Responsibility for Harry's security in Britain rests with the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), which determines protection arrangements for senior royals and other high-profile individuals. While Harry employs his own security personnel, they are not permitted to carry firearms in the UK. Armed protection is restricted to authorised police officers. Private security teams also do not receive the police and intelligence briefings available to specialist royal protection officers.
During Harry's appearance at the High Court in January for his privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, a woman described by The Daily Telegraph as a known stalker reportedly sat close to him on two occasions. According to the newspaper, Harry's security team identified the woman but had no authority to intervene. "There is nothing they could do; they are not the police. It's a public building, and she has a right to be there," an insider said.
RAVEC and King Charles's Role
Sir Clive Alderton, King Charles's Principal Private Secretary, is among the eight members of RAVEC involved in decisions surrounding Harry's security arrangements. Harry has previously suggested his father could help bring the dispute to an end. "There is a lot of control and ability in my father's hands," he told the BBC last year. "Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts to do what is necessary," he added. "I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point … And I think that it's really quite sad that I won't be able to show, you know, my children my homeland."
Last year, Harry secured a risk-management board review of his security arrangements, with RAVEC expected to advise an independent chair on whether he should receive armed police protection during future visits. In a statement, the Home Office said: "The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security."
Meghan's Role and Business Engagements
Meanwhile, Meghan is not expected to undertake any business engagements during the trip, despite promoting her As Ever lifestyle brand during a visit to Australia earlier this year, including a partnership with AI fashion platform OneOff. A spokesperson for the Sussexes declined to comment on security arrangements.
