The Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet will not be accompanying Prince Harry during his upcoming visit to London next week due to an ongoing disagreement regarding his family’s police protection.
However, the Sussex family might still join him for engagements in other areas of the United Kingdom, as decisions regarding the parts of the trip outside the British capital have not yet been finalized.
The duke had intended to travel with his wife and their two young children for the five-day visit but harbored deep concerns over their safety after being denied taxpayer-funded protection within the UK.
As fifth in line to the British throne, he had filed an official request for police security during the journey, but his team was reportedly informed that the request was declined.
The duke has spent recent days looking into alternative solutions to bring his family across the Atlantic safely, with his representative confirming that his security team is still evaluating options to facilitate the visit in some capacity.
The upcoming trip will see the duke mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, an international sporting event for wounded military personnel that he established over a decade ago, alongside other charitable engagements in the Midlands.
Conflicting reports also emerged over their potential lodging, with initial indications suggesting they would divide their time between private accommodation and a royal residence, though Buckingham Palace later clarified they had received no confirmation regarding an invitation from King Charles. Full police protection is routinely guaranteed to anyone residing within a royal estate.
The situation stems from a prolonged legal dispute with the UK government after the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) scaled back his security following the couple’s decision to step away from official royal duties in 2020, a ruling he unsuccessfully challenged in the UK Court of Appeal last year.
“Prince Harry’s programme in the United Kingdom includes both public and private engagements across the country. Safe accommodation is only one element of an effective protective security plan because risk follows the person, not the place,” his spokesperson said earlier this week.
“The issue has never been accommodation. The issue is whether appropriate and proportionate protective security is being provided throughout the entirety of the visit. The independent Risk Management Board that RAVEC itself decided was necessary last November has still not taken place.
The spokesperson added, “It is therefore difficult to understand how the proportionality of the current arrangements can credibly be maintained without that independent assessment.”
A UK government spokesperson has previously described its protective security system as “rigorous and proportionate.
“It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security,” the spokesperson continued.
The couple, who currently reside in California, departed Britain in 2020 after stepping down from active royal roles, which precipitated a highly publicized and enduring rift with the royal family.
They previously pointed to a challenging mix of tabloid harassment, systemic institutional biases, online hostility, and strained family relationships, alongside their goal of financial autonomy, to explain their departure.
Many had anticipated that the upcoming travel would facilitate a reunion between the monarch and his young grandchildren, whom he last saw collectively four years ago during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee events.
Since relocating, the duke has returned for several brief visits, including his grandmother’s funeral in 2022 and his father’s coronation ceremony in 2023.
The British monarch recently completed an official tour to the United States visiting Washington DC, New York, and Virginia, though a packed itinerary prevented a trip to the west coast to visit his son.
The father and son did manage to meet for the first time in over a year and a half last September for tea at Clarence House in London during the King’s cancer treatments, sparking rumors of a potential reconciliation, though relations between the duke and his brother Prince William remain strained.
