Chaos as Harry
The Royal Household has no clue what is going on regarding Prince Harry's trip to the UK next month, with even the Sussexes' camp being told different stories, it has been revealed. On Friday (June 26), it was announced that Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, would be crossing the Atlantic together for the first time in four years. However, by Saturday, these plans had been thrown into chaos, with rumours circulating that the Duke of Sussex could be making the trip alone.
It comes after the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) turned down Harry's security requests, following a Risk Management Board convened to discuss his security after he lost automatic, 24-hour, taxpayer-funded police protection in the UK. The RAVEC has now determined that no security will be provided. Many had heralded the trip as a potential reconciliation between father and son, with King Charles, 77, finally allowed to see his youngest grandchildren for the first time since June 2022. However, Buckingham Palace's patience with the Sussexes appears to have been tested by another PR disaster by the pair, a source has claimed.
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A source familiar with the situation said: "For the sake of family harmony the Palace would have been perfectly happy with a peaceful and low-key visit. Yet, once again, they have turned it into a soap opera. It's tiresome."
According to the Daily Mail's royal editor, Rebecca English, the Palace's offer of a royal residence for the Sussexes has not even been accepted, with only eight days to go before he lands in the UK.
It was announced last week that the Sussexes were set to stay at an undisclosed royal residence. Harry, 41, has previously declined the offer to stay at Buckingham Palace during past visits due to security concerns over using such a high-profile, visible building.
Meghan has not travelled to the UK since September 2022, when she visited for the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Archie and Lilibet have not joined their parents in the UK since June 2022, when they attended the Platinum Jubilee. However, they did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the late monarch's final Trooping the Colour. The children are said to have met their grandfather during their previous visit, with Charles meeting Lilibet for the first time.
Prince Harry is set to visit Britain to mark the "One Year to Go" countdown for the 2027 Invictus Games, as well as to support UK-based charities he supports, including WellChild and Scotty's Little Soldiers. However, regarding the latest development, a source said: "Harry is reassessing things. Ultimately, he is going to do everything he can to find a way to bring them over safely".
Last year, Prince Harry lost his court battle with the Home Office over the RAVEC security committee's 2020 decision to strip him of his 24-hour police guard when he left the UK for North America. At the time, he labelled it an "establishment stitch-up" and said he could not envisage ever feeling safe bringing his family back to Britain.
After losing his case, Harry appealed to the Home Secretary, asking RAVEC to reassess it. While his team was briefed earlier this year that a decision was imminent and he was confident of success, no conclusion has been reached ahead of next month's visit.