Prince Harry is set to visit London next week without his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children, Archie and Lilibet. The decision follows confirmation that the family will not receive taxpayer-funded police security during their time in the UK.
Originally, plans included Meghan and the children joining Harry for the five-day trip, which marks the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham. However, these plans changed after the security arrangements were finalized. There is a possibility that Meghan and the children might join Harry later in the week when the visit moves from London to the Midlands.
Prince Harry had previously expressed his reservations about bringing his family to the UK without adequate security. In a conversation with the BBC last year, he stated, "I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had accepted an offer to stay in a royal residence during this visit.
The issue of security provision has been a point of contention, linked to the decisions made by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which is responsible for determining security arrangements for senior royals and public figures. Harry and Meghan were last together in the UK in 2022 for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Since then, Harry has made solo trips to the UK, including a meeting with his father last September.