Prince Harry is reconsidering plans to bring his wife Meghan and their two children to the UK next month after the government rejected his request for taxpayer-funded police protection, a decision that has left him 'distraught', according to sources close to the Sussexes.
Family Reunion in Jeopardy
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been planning their first family trip to Britain in four years for events linked to the Invictus Games, scheduled for July in Birmingham. Prince Harry was reportedly 'excited' for Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, to reunite with King Charles during the visit. However, the trip now appears uncertain after the government declined his request for police protection outside royal residences.
A government spokesperson said on Sunday: 'The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our longstanding policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.'
Legal Battle and Security Concerns
Harry was said to be 'distraught' about the decision, made just days before the family was due to arrive, but was reportedly keen to find a way to make the trip work. A spokesperson for the Sussexes has been contacted for comment.
Last year, Harry lost a legal battle against the Home Office concerning automatic police protection while in the UK, having previously claimed it was not safe to bring his family without it. He has since been granted a full risk assessment and had been awaiting a final decision from the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), the Home Office committee responsible for authorising such protection.
RAVEC Decision Process
RAVEC decisions are taken by an independent chair, and its membership includes the royal household, the Home Office, the Cabinet Office, and the Metropolitan Police. The home secretary, currently Shabana Mahmood, does not contribute to individual RAVEC decisions.
Harry met his father last September at Clarence House in London, their first face-to-face meeting since February 2024. It was seen as a first step in improving relations between them. Charles has not seen his youngest grandchildren in person since 2022, during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations.
Hopes for Reconciliation
It is not known if the king was planning to meet the children during next month’s visit. However, Harry has reportedly told friends in the US he was excited for his children to reconnect with their paternal grandfather. An LA-based business associate of Harry and Meghan, who live in Montecito, California, told the Telegraph there had been a 'warming of the frost' between the king and his youngest son after Harry’s public attacks in his memoir, Spare, and television interviews.
The outcome of the security decision could have broader implications for the Sussexes' future visits to the UK and their ongoing relationship with the royal family.
