Prince Harry barred the media from attending his London event on Wednesday, citing the UK heatwave as the reason for the last-minute change. The Duke of Sussex, who arrived in Britain on Monday, visited the Royal Hospital Chelsea — the home of the Chelsea Pensioners, all retired British Army soldiers. Unlike his other UK engagements, this visit was held in private, with no press allowed despite pool media coverage having been organized.
Decision Made a Day Prior
Harry’s team explained that the public-facing segment of the visit was removed from the agenda due to soaring temperatures and the limitations of the heritage site's old buildings. The change was made just a day before the event, causing confusion among media outlets. It is believed that the media will still be allowed to attend the rest of the duke’s engagements in the UK.
Court Case Loss and Security Concerns
The visit came a day after Harry lost his court case against the publishers of The Daily Mail. The duke’s wife, Meghan Markle, was originally expected to join him, but plans changed after Harry learned he would not receive taxpayer-funded security in the UK. As a result, Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, did not travel to the UK with Harry on Monday.
Harry has previously stated that he feels the UK is too unsafe for his family to visit without armed police protection. However, it has not been ruled out that Meghan and the children could fly to the UK at some point during Harry’s trip.
