Prince Harry is not expected to stay at Buckingham Palace during his trip to the UK this week, despite his team saying he had accepted an accommodation offer from King Charles.
The Duke of Sussex is set to arrive in London on Monday without Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, as tensions continue over security arrangements for his family.
Earlier today, a spokesman for Harry said the King had offered him a place to stay at Buckingham Palace and that the Duke had accepted after communicating directly with his father.
That account was quickly disputed, however, with claims emerging that Harry had not confirmed the offer in time and had left it too late for Palace staff to put the necessary arrangements in place.
Harry’s spokesman later issued a strongly worded statement saying the Duke was “disappointed” and accusing the Palace of withdrawing the offer “at the last moment.”
“I am aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting that the Duke had not accepted the offer of accommodation at a Royal Residence,” the spokesman said.
“Following RAVEC’s decision not to provide security for his family, the Duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend.
“It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason.”
‘Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.’
It is yet another twist in ten days of tense negotiations over Harry’s UK security, a saga said to have left the Duke ‘in tears’.
The Daily Mail understands that, despite repeated requests for clarity, no formal response to the offer of accommodation at a royal residence for the Duke and his family had been received by the required deadline at the end of last week.
Prince Harry accepted an offer from King Charles (pictured together in 2019) to stay at Buckingham Palace during his visit to the UK this week – only for it to emerge that this had been too late for the Palace to prepare
Meghan could make her first return to the UK since 2022, accompanied by her children Prince Archie, 7, and five-year-old Lilibet
While every effort had, it is understood, been made to facilitate Harry’s stay, the Royal Household requires a minimum period of notice to ensure a royal residence can be staffed and prepared appropriately.
Since the offer was first made, every indication from the Duke and his senior team was that the accommodation had been deemed unsuitable, including correspondence received on Saturday morning formally declining the King’s offer.
Although a request was later received to accept the accommodation for a limited period, the necessary hospitality and staffing provision was no longer available.
Following consultation with His Majesty, the resulting outcome was communicated to the Duke through the ‘appropriate channels’.
It remains the case that accommodation at a Royal residence will be made available to the Duke and his family for a future visit.
Father and son are widely expected to meet, although any plans are likely to remain private.
The key question now is whether Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will also travel to Britain to see the King and spend time with him for the first time in four years.
Harry’s desire to stay in a royal palace is likely to raise eyebrows given his long-running criticism of the Royal Family and the so-called ‘men in grey suits’ who work for his father.
It came amid toing and froing over whether Meghan and the children would be coming over with him.
The Duchess of Sussex and her young children will not travel to London on Monday with Prince Harry after a demand for extra security was turned down.
The family are believed to have been holidaying in Europe.
Sources close to the couple have not ruled out Meghan and the children coming to the UK later in the week. Archie and Lilibet have not seen King Charles since 2022.
Meghan is due to join her husband at an event in Birmingham on Friday to promote next year’s Invictus Games, the charity for wounded servicemen that Harry set up in 2014.
It is understood Meghan and Harry could bring Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, with them when they travel to other parts of the UK.
Sources previously claimed there have been ‘real and credible threats’, including threats of terrorism, against Harry and his family in the capital.
The five-day Sussex trip to the UK has been fraught with upset and drama.
The Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will not travel to London on Monday after a request for police protection was denied, however they may still visit the UK for a quick visit and perhaps see the King
Harry remains enraged that he does not receive around-the-clock police protection during his trips to the UK.
Instead he has to give three weeks’ notice of his visits which are assessed on a ‘case by case’ basis.
Harry’s team originally briefed the Press that he was coming with his wife and children – Meghan has not visited the UK since the Queen’s funeral in September 2022 – but, less than 24 hours later, said he feared for their safety if they came without full-time taxpayer-funded armed police protection and his spokesman said the family would no longer accompany him.
But now Harry’s team are saying that while the family will not travel to London with him there is a chance they may join him during other parts of his UK visit.
It is thought he wants to take his children to his mother Princess Diana’s family home, Althorp, where she is buried on a private island in the middle of a lake.
A source said: ‘Harry longs to bring his children to the UK, to show them where he comes from and to introduce them to their heritage. And he wants to take them to Althorp which is where Diana was raised and where she rests.
‘It’s important to him that the English side of their heritage is part of their life. But their security is everything. There are real and credible threats and he will not put his family in danger.’
Harry and Meghan had planned to attend other charity events in the UK including a visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.
It is thought Harry will now attend the London events solo.
The Sussex drama has been going on all week.
The family is currently in Europe, possibly at their holiday villa in Portugal, and had been scheduled to travel together on Monday.
The Mail understands there are tentative plans to see members of the Royal Family, including the King, but in a private capacity with courtiers telling the Sussexes they cannot release any photographs of any reunion.
Prince William and Princess Kate are unlikely to see the Sussexes during their visit.
Meghan and Harry flew to Canada and then the US during Megxit in March 2020 when they stepped down as working members of the Royal Family.
They live in a £14million mansion in Montecito and friends say both Lilibet and Archie have strong American accents.
Harry has previously said it is his ‘ardent wish’ for his children to know about their British heritage.
Meghan’s jam-making business in the US has not been the roaring success she hoped it would be and their $100million Netflix deal was cancelled last year.
A Netflix source said: ‘They need a strong connection to the UK to be relevant in the US. People only care about the fact that Harry is Diana’s son. Their only currency is their proximity to the Royal Family, certainly as far as America is concerned. They need to maintain their links to the King.’
Harry has long argued that security concerns have prevented him bringing his family to Britain after his taxpayer-funded protection changed – he says he wants his children to visit
Critics have accused Harry of using ’emotional blackmail’ by flip-flopping on his decision about whether to bring his children to the UK.
The King, who is very close to his other grandchildren, has made it clear he would love to see Archie and Lilibet, particularly as he has been fighting cancer.
Harry is due to attend events for WellChild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers during his visit.
The ruling in his case against Associated Newspapers is due on Tuesday, as Harry makes his first speech in the UK.
He and others accused the Daily Mail of using unlawful means to produce stories, a charge the Daily Mail vehemently denies.
If he loses the case he could potentially face millions of pounds in legal fees.
