Prince Harry is reconsidering plans to bring his wife, Meghan, and their two children to the United Kingdom next month, according to the BBC. The decision comes after his formal request for taxpayer-funded police security during the visit was rejected.
Sources indicate that Prince Harry is distraught by the decision, which was communicated just days before the family's planned arrival. Despite this setback, his team is reportedly seeking ways to still make the trip work. The family had been planning a roughly five-day visit to the UK for the first time in four years.
Meghan and the children, Archie and Lilibet, were expected to accompany Prince Harry, who was scheduled to attend public engagements in London and the Midlands. The visit was intended to coincide with the start of the year-long countdown to the Invictus Games, an event for injured military personnel founded by Prince Harry, which will be held in Birmingham next July. He was also expected to visit other UK-based charities he continues to support.
Prince Harry's team had been awaiting the outcome of a security review by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which advises the Home Office on security provisions for senior royals. Although the family had accepted an offer to stay as guests of King Charles on a royal estate, police protection would only have been available while on the estate grounds. Outside of that, Prince Harry would have had to rely on private security from California.
Last year, Prince Harry lost a legal challenge seeking regular police protection during visits to the UK. In a previous BBC News interview, he expressed concerns about the safety of bringing his wife and children to the country, stating, "I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point and the things they're going to miss is, well, everything." He also spoke of a desire for "reconciliation" with the Royal Family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been living in California since stepping back as senior royals. The last time King Charles saw his grandchildren in person was during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Prince Harry last met with his father for tea in September, his first face-to-face meeting since February 2024.