King Charles has reportedly revoked an invitation for Prince Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace during the Duke of Sussex's visit to the United Kingdom this week. Harry's team had announced Monday that he had accepted an offer to stay at the London royal residence.
However, Buckingham Palace rescinded the invitation shortly thereafter. A source cited by The Telegraph indicated that the decision was made because Prince Harry accepted the offer too late. The Palace requires a minimum notice period for accommodations and staffing.
The decision was reportedly made in consultation with King Charles. The Palace also cited the timing of the verdict in Prince Harry's privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, as adding "a further degree of complexity" to the decision.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry expressed disappointment over the retracted offer, stating that the palace was aware the verdict in the lawsuit was expected this week. According to The Telegraph, Prince Harry had initially declined the offer to stay at Buckingham Palace on Saturday before changing his mind.
Prince Harry is traveling to the UK for a countdown event promoting his Invictus Games competition, scheduled to take place in Birmingham next July. The visit also coincides with the impending verdict in his privacy case.
He is traveling alone, without his wife Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Reports suggest that plans for Meghan and the children to travel were abandoned after a request for police protection was denied.
Prince Harry has previously expressed concerns about security in the UK, which he argues complicates visits for his family. He lost a legal challenge last year against a government decision to remove his automatic police protection after he and Meghan stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States.
His spokesperson stated last week that the Duke "continues to explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the UK."
The planned visit had raised the possibility of a rare meeting between Prince Archie, Princess Lilibet, and their grandfather, King Charles. Relations between Prince Harry and the royal family have remained strained in recent years. Prince Harry has spoken of a desire for reconciliation following public disputes, including comments made in television interviews and his memoir "Spare." This comes as King Charles continues to undergo cancer treatment.