Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were due to bring their children Archie and Lilibet to the UK for the first time in four years this month, but now the trip is hanging in the balance
Much was made of the fact that Prince Harry would be travelling back to the UK with his wife and their children for the first time in four years just next week. But those plans are now up in the air after his request for police protection was rejected.
Harry has repeatedly said he is desperate to bring his children to Britain so they can learn about their heritage. But after his police protection was removed in 2020 when he stepped down as a working royal – he has refused to do so on safety grounds.
The Duke’s demands for police protection turned into a lengthy court battle, which Harry eventually lost. It also became a point of contention between him and his father, King Charles. He admitted to the BBC last year that his father had stopped speaking to him because of it, with the King making it clear that while he wants to see his estranged son and grandchildren, he can not intervene in security matters.
Charles has offered the family rooms at a royal residence, thought to be Buckingham Palace, which would guarantee a high level of security. But the Sussexes have since been told they will not receive full police protection, paid for by the tax payer, which might have included a police motorcade for when they are travelling around the country.
Harry had reportedly hoped that his security arrangements would be changed for this trip. And when RAVEC – the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which makes decisions on the security provision for senior royals for the Home Office – informed the couple that would not be the case, Harry was said to have been “devastated”.
But a Government spokesman said its protective security system was “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 spokesman added.
A source told the Mirror that Harry “has grown increasingly frustrated with the whole process and has had to alter his standpoint.
“From initially being told a decision would be made within a matter of weeks, it is now more than six months on. He (Harry) was determined to travel back to the UK with his family around the Invictus event, so he has finally made the decision to accept the offer of staying at a royal residence which he believes will be sufficient for this trip.”
But will he decide to bring his children and Meghan with him? And will Archie and Lilibet make a public appearance? The Mirror takes a look at some of the unanswered questions still lingering…
Will Harry and William meet when he is in the UK?
The odds of a brotherly reunion are not great.
While William is known to be a devoted family man, and royal fans would likely be delighted to know the future King had been reunited with his niece and nephew, rthe Mirror understands that the two brothers are still a long way from reconciling.
“It is going to be a delicate balancing act for the King. If he makes peace with his youngest son, his loyal and steadfast older son will have his nose royally put out of joint,” royal expert Jennie Bond told the Mirror.
“There is absolutely no sign of any thaw in the brotherly feud. But we should never say never. Things can change – and perhaps William might one day come round to his brother’s view that ‘there’s no point in continuing to fight any more’.
“A massive issue is trust. Both Harry and Meghan have squandered the trust of senior members of the Royal Family. His book and their Netflix documentary series invaded the privacy of the King, the Queen and William and Catherine. And I think the Sussexes are still on very shaky ground when it comes to trust.”
Jennie continued: “However, Harry has spoken publicly about his wish to be reconciled with his family. It has finally dawned on him that ‘life is precious’. And I’m sure he must understand that he needs to win back his family’s trust by keeping private matters private.”
The Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers, meanwhile, described the rift between the two brothers as “the worst it’s ever been”, adding, “I see no chance of a reconciliation”. He continued: “William, Catherine and other members of the Royal Family feel deeply hurt by everything Harry has said in the past about the Firm.”
Sources previously revealed that the King is likely to meet Harry and Meghan and the children if a request is made from the Sussexes to see him.
Archie and Lilibet last saw their grandfather Charles in person at the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Lilibet was just one at the time. Meghan has not set foot in the UK, apart from the odd Heathrow Terminal transfer, since the late Queen’s funeral.
Jennie added: “As Charles nudges towards 80, it is undoubtedly the most enormous sadness for him not to know his two youngest grandchildren. And if there is one thing that should melt hearts and build bridges between warring relatives, it is little, innocent children.
“So, if Harry, Meghan and the children do come and the King finds some excuse not to meet them, it’s game over. The rift will surely be permanent.”
Will Archie and Lilibet appear in public?
Even if they do still come to the UK, it is unlikely that Archie and Lilibet will attend the public Invictus events with Harry and Meghan. The couple have been clear that they want to keep the youngsters out of the public eye – when they appear on Meghan’s social media, their faces are obscured.
Invictus is one of the core components of Harry’s charitable work, and Afua Acheampong-Hagan – a royal commentator – tells the Mirror that it would be “lovely” for the two kids to “see their dad’s work on the Invictus Games which is really incredible.”
But when the family came back to the UK in 2022 for celebrations marking the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the kids were kept out of sight. And given their concerns over security, it’s highly likely the Duke and Duchess will continue this pattern.
It has been reported that Harry wants to take his children to visit Princess Diana’s grave during next week’s visit to the UK. Diana was buried on an island at her ancestral estate of Althorp House, in West Northamptonshire, which is off limits to the public.
What public events will Harry and Meghan attend?
if the trip goes ahead, the couple will be in the UK for five days, from July 7 – 11, to celebrate the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. The visit to London and Birmingham will include a stop at the Invictus Games Foundation at Chatham House in London as well as to the Royal Hospital in Chelsea.
They are scheduled to visit Birmingham Children’s Hospital to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the WellChild Nurse program – which will mark their first joint official engagement in Britain since March 2020.
On July 10, they will visit Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) – the primary venue for the Games for a one-year celebration, during which the Duke is expected to participate in exhibition events alongside veterans.
He will also make some solo appearances, including at a conference on wounded military members, and Scotty’s Summer Festival at Maxstoke Castle, which supports grieving youngsters from armed services families.
The working royals, meanwhile, will be seen fulfilling various engagements while the Sussexes are in the UK. Prince William’s annual polo match is taking place on July 10, while it’s been reported that the Princess of Wales will be attending Wimbledon on July 11 and 12.
What is going on with Harry’s security?
The family were due to stay on a royal estate as a guest of King Charles. Previously, Harry has turned down the opportunity to stay at Buckingham Palace due to its high profile location.
Last year, he lost a legal battle to have regular police protection when visiting the UK. “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point and the things they’re going to miss is, well, everything,” he said after the verdict.
“You know I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in the country have done.”
After his latest bid was denied, it’s thought a final decision will be made in the coming days as Harry looks for new ways to bring his children to the UK.
Harry and Meghan do not receive taxpayer-funded protection while in the UK, other than when they are within royal residences. Harry’s security company does provide personnel to accompany him when he travels overseas, but a recent report acknowledges that the protection team cannot carry guns on UK soil and concludes that “UK authorities are much better positioned to provide him with more comprehensive protection”.
The 40-page risk assessment was commissioned by Harry’s own private security firm and paid for by the Duke. It was submitted to the UK security committee tasked with deciding whether Harry should get state-funded protection when he travels in the country.
It states that Harry’s private protection officers are prevented from “adequately responding to an armed attack from a terrorist, criminal, or mentally unstable actor. Only UK police, with authorisation from RAVEC, can carry lethal weapons while protecting The Duke”.
The document notes that, despite quitting his role as a working member of the Royal Family, Harry “is still The King’s son and remains a symbol of the crown”.
It adds: “Extremists with grievances against Great Britain – including jihadists or others that oppose the Commonwealth – pose a considerable threat and do not take his specific role into account.
“The Duke has been the target of specific jihadist threats ever since serving in Afghanistan in 2007/2008.”
Ultimately, royal editor Russell Myers said, Harry “jumped the gun” when he announced the family visit before security was guaranteed. “He thought he was going to be afforded this protection which he so craves, and yet what has happened is he put out a statement saying the whole family was coming to the UK, and then had to row back on it.”
But Tom Sykes from the Daily Beast has suggested a more sinister motive for the early announcement. He wrote: “The tour, the announcement that Meghan and the kids were coming, the whole carefully choreographed media rollout, the months of assurances to the Royal Household that this was happening, the accommodation requests, the detailed planning: it was all just to bounce his poor, weak, loving father into intervening in the Government’s security decision-making, something Charles, to his eternal credit, has refused to do. This is the high-water mark of Harry’s emotional blackmail.”
A source close to the Sussexes, however, said: “Harry is devastated and in absolute turmoil over this decision. He is incredibly frustrated at the lack of action from the Home Office and its delay in making a decision. He has blamed dark forces for stopping his family coming to the UK and arranging to see the King. Everything is very much up in the air.”
