Prince Harry marked his first evening back in the UK away from his family by attending an event in support of Misan Harriman, a close friend of Meghan Markle who has recently faced allegations of antisemitism.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, had reportedly wanted to stay at Buckingham Palace on Monday, but is said to have missed the deadline to take up his father’s offer of accommodation after changing his mind in the hours before his arrival.
Harry arrived in Britain last night following a European break with Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, before travelling directly to a cinema close to Piccadilly Circus.
He was photographed smiling with longtime friend Mr Harriman, chairman of the Southbank Centre, who wore an Anti-Apartheid Club T-shirt at the premiere of a documentary about his life.
The film, Shoot the People, was completed before the photographer and filmmaker announced he would leave his Southbank Centre post later this year rather than pursue a third term. Mr Harriman, who has been selected by the Sussexes to take a number of their photographs since they stepped back from royal duties — including the only public portrait of Lilibet — has been a prominent figure in arts and activism circles.
Mr Harriman, who rose to wider prominence through his coverage of Black Lives Matter demonstrations, has faced criticism over a series of social media posts. Among them was a claim that the media had overlooked a Muslim victim in the April terror attack in Golders Green.
He has also been accused of likening Reform supporters to Nazis. In another alleged repost, he shared a claim involving Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, both of whom are Jewish, suggesting they were “selling off the Albanian coastline to Jewish billionaires and [an] Israeli military project”.
Mr Harriman has denied that his comments were antisemitic, saying they have been taken out of context and noting that he has publicly expressed solidarity with the Jewish community.
Harry’s appearance at the film premiere marks the start of five days of engagements, most of them linked to next year’s Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Prince Harry supported friend Misan Harriman at the UK Premiere of ‘Shoot The People’ at Picturehouse Central in London on Monday night, his first act in the UK as he visits for 5 days
He will also be supporting other good causes including Wellchild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers.
But the trip began in chaos because of a row over whether he could stay at Buckingham Palace.
One royal insider told the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English that ‘the King’s patience snapped’ because of his son’s toing and froing.
After weeks of dithering and flip-flopping, and just hours before he was due to arrive, Harry decided he did want to stay at Buckingham Palace – but it was too late.
He was apparently informed by royal officials on Saturday night. Yet, 36 hours later, his own team announced to the world that he would be staying there.
The Duke had been told he took too long to accept the King’s invitation.
In response, Harry’s spokesman went nuclear, issuing a statement accusing the Palace of withdrawing the offer ‘at the last moment’.
Despite the bitter back-and-forth, Harry wants to see his father and is hopeful that his wife and children can join him in Britain when he leaves London for Birmingham later this week.
‘Harry is still keen to see Charles, which he is looking forward to,’ an insider told the Mail.
Meghan is also still expected at Invictus events in Birmingham, with the Games only a year away on Friday.
The Sussexes have been holidaying in Europe and it is not out of the question that Archie and Lilibet will join them, potentially flying in and out of the UK in 24 hours.
‘They are working on ways that this can happen safely,’ the source said.
Harry and Meghan, pictured at Invictus in 2023 in Germany, still hope to be at ‘year to go’ events in Birmingham later this week
The Duke of Sussex would also love Archie and Lilibet to be in the UK this week – but only if it can be done safely
Harry had been hoping his wife and children would accompany him to the UK for five days.
His visit coincides with the countdown to his Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027.
The trip was set to include a visit to King Charles as well as a poignant stop at Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire, where Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, is buried.
Archie and Lilibet have not seen their grandfather since their last trip to Britain in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
As exasperation appeared to grow on both sides over the trip, it is understood the duke initially turned down the offer of staying at Buckingham Palace for himself and his family, who are no longer accompanying him to London, on Saturday, before making a U-turn later in the day and asking to stay himself.
The appropriate hospitality and staffing provision was said to be no longer available.
The duke wanted to stay at the Palace for one night, it is understood.
Questions have been raised on the Sussex side as to whether the offer of a bed at a royal residence was ever intended to be available once Harry had accepted it.
Private conversations are said to have taken place between the duke and his father.
A spokesman for the duke said: ‘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.
‘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.’
The spokesman added: ‘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.’
Amid the drama surrounding his son’s visit, King Charles appeared to enjoy himself riding in a British Army Challenger 3 battle tank in Bovington, Dorset, on Monday
The decision by the Palace was said to have been taken in consultation with the King, with the outcome communicated to Harry through the appropriate channels.
Accommodation at a royal residence will be made available to Harry and his family for future visits, it is understood.
At the weekend, it was announced Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet would no longer be joining Harry in London amid concern over their security.
No decision has been made as to whether the family will join the duke for other parts of the UK visit outside of the capital.
Harry had also been hoping to reunite his children with their grandfather the King, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, for the first time in four years, but it is not clear whether this will go ahead.
It is also not yet known for sure if and when Harry will see his father during his trip. Although both father and son are said to be keen.
The King has a busy run of engagements this week, while Harry is carrying out five days of appearances in London and Birmingham, including marking the one year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.
The duke had been waiting for a review by the Risk Management Board (RMB), part of the process by which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) rules on his security requirements, but found out on Friday this has yet to take place.
The Sussex family were not eligible to receive taxpayer-funded protection while in the UK, other than when they were within royal residences.
The duke criticised his father Charles, stepmother the Queen, brother the Prince of Wales and sister-in-law the Princess of Wales in his Oprah interview, Netflix documentary, interviews and his autobiography Spare, after stepping down from the working monarchy six years ago.
