Prince Harry is believed to want an invite from the King to stay with his family at Sandringham when he visits the UK this summer however sources have revealed that ‘low trust’ has become a barrier in the father and son’s relationship
Prince Harry’s reported desire to be invited to Sandringham this summer has been slapped down.
It has been reported that the Duke of Sussex wants to stay with his family in Norfolk so that his children can spend time with their grandfather, in an attempt to repair the family rift.
However, following the aftermath of Harry and Meghan Markle’s step back from royalty, it is said there is ‘low trust and bitter experience’ between the pair and the rest of the royals based on leaks and media briefings.
A friend of King Charles told the Daily Mail: “If Harry truly wishes to see his father, he would do well to encourage his supporters to allow such matters to be discussed privately, since low trust and bitter experience in this regard remains one of the principal barriers to progress.”
After his hostile departure from the UK, Harry has seen his father twice. In that time many accusations have been made, with Harry and Meghan’s television interviews and the release of his memoir Spare.
Despite the tensions, it is alleged that Harry hopes, alongside his wife and children, he will be invited to spend ‘some family time’ at Sandringham in July, when he is due to visit the UK.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, six and four, last saw their grandfather during their visit for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Meghan last visited later in 2022, at the time of the Queen’s death.
Harry will be headed to the UK to attend events connected with his Invictus Games, and the Sunday Times reports that ‘those close to Harry’ have said he ‘would welcome an invitation to Sandringham’.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who have an estranged relationship with the Duke of Sussex and his family, often spend much of their holidays at Sandringham.
After being stripped of round-the-clock taxpayer-funded Metropolitan Police bodyguards after leaving the royal family in 2020, it is reported that Harry is waiting for a decision on what security provision he will be entitled to on his trip.
Harry expressed his fears of a lack of safety due to these arrangements but lost a battle with the Government last year after saying he felt it was not ‘safe’ to bring his family to the UK without full-time armed police protection.
The Sunday Times reported a ‘friend of Harry’s’ saying: ‘If he was invited by the King, he would get a package of security that automatically kicks in. He’d like an invite to Sandringham. Would he go? It would depend who was there.
“If the King was to say, “Come up and spend some time with the family”, he’d love that.
“There are lots of scenarios to make it work, but it’s all out of Harry’s hands. No father would want to put their kids at any risk.”
The prince is only entitled to publicly funded security when attending official events at the monarch’s request or invitation.
It has been said by sources close to the King that the monarch has made it clear he will not intervene with the debate over his son’s security.
The Mirror have contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
