Buckingham Palace has formally stated that Prince Harry will not be staying at the palace during his visit to London this week. This clarification comes in response to an earlier announcement from the Duke of Sussex’s team, which had claimed he had accepted an invitation to reside at the royal residence. According to reports, the palace requires a specific minimum notice period to arrange for guest hosting and to coordinate the necessary Royal Household staff.
The Duke of Sussex is returning to the UK to participate in charity events and to promote the upcoming Invictus Games, which are scheduled to be held in Birmingham next year. During his time in Birmingham, he is expected to visit the city’s children’s hospital and the National Exhibition Centre, the venue for the games, which support injured military personnel. It remains possible that he may be joined by his wife, Meghan, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, during the Birmingham portion of his trip.
However, it has been confirmed that the family will not be accompanied by taxpayer-funded police security, and consequently, the Duchess of Sussex and their children will not join him for the London segment of his visit. There is currently no clarity on whether Prince Harry will meet with King Charles and his two grandchildren, aged seven and five, whom the monarch has not seen in person for four years. Additionally, there had been speculation regarding a potential visit to Althorp in Northampton, the estate of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, with plans reportedly intended to involve his family visiting her private grave.
The current situation highlights the ongoing dispute between the Duke and the UK government regarding security arrangements, which began when he stepped back as a senior royal in 2020 and relocated to the US. Prince Harry has contested a decision by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee’s Risk Management Board, which determined that his security would be assessed on a case-by-case basis due to his status as an infrequent visitor. He has previously said he would not bring his family to the country without improved security arrangements, telling the BBC in 2025 that he could not “see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point”. The Duke and Duchess were last in the UK together in 2022 for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, though Prince Harry has since made solo trips, including a meeting with his father last September.
