What to Know
Prince Harry is back in London, but his visit isn’t going quite the way he expected it would. During this hop across the pond, Harry was planning to bring wife Meghan Markle and kids Archie and Lili along with him, marking the first time the kids would be in the UK since 2022.
It even seemed like he was going to spend time with family during his trip, since he’d accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace… until the palace uninvited him. Yikes!
Prince Harry’s camp claimed that he’d accepted an invitation to stay at the palace.
Over the weekend, the BBC reported that Prince Harry was set to stay at Buckingham Palace as he carried out several engagements in the UK with Meghan and the kids in tow. Though he was concerned about security issues during their visit, Harry hoped it would be resolved by the time he arrived in the UK.
But at the last minute, his lodging plans changed, and it doesn’t sound like he had much to say about it.
Days later, the invitation was “withdrawn.”
Harry’s spokesperson issued a statement about the situation on Monday, stating that after he spent last week “making alternative security arrangements” for his trip, he confirmed to the palace that he’d be traveling alone and formally accepted the invitation to stay. But that invitation was “withdrawn” after Harry was scheduled to receive a judgment in his tabloid case against the Associated Newspapers on Tuesday, during his visit, in a decision that his rep called “disappointing.”
“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 It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment,” said the statement, via People.
The royals’ side of the story is a little different, though. According to what a source told People, on Saturday morning, Harry declined the invitation, only to change his mind and accept it later in the day, so it sounds like there was confusion all around.
If the situation between Harry and his family was less tense and everyone communicated a bit better, this may not have even happened in the first place… but as we all know at this point, the feud isn’t coming to an end anytime soon.
Harry ended up flying to the UK solo.
True to his word, Harry once again refused to bring his children to the UK without what he deems is the proper security available to protect them and arrived solo on Monday… only to find out on Tuesday that he (and the other defendants) lost the privacy case against the newspapers.
The week isn’t off to a great start for Harry, but there’s still time for things to improve? And there’s always the chance that Meghan and the kids could catch up with him for a more private getaway later in his trip, but at this point, he might just be ready to go back to the US.
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