Prince Harry (41) is back in his old homeland - alone. As the US magazine "People" confirms, the Duke of Sussex landed in the United Kingdom on Monday (July 7). Wife Meghan (44) and their children Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (5) did not accompany him. Before the visit, the family had vacationed together in Europe.
Originally, it had been planned that Harry would bring his wife and children to the island - it would have been the first trip to the United Kingdom for Archie and Lilibet since 2022. On July 4, however, "People" learned that Meghan and the children would not be coming to London. Whether they will join later during the trip outside the capital remains open.
Dispute over security
Behind the cancellation are unresolved questions about personal protection. After their withdrawal as working royals in 2020 and their move to California, Harry and Meghan lost their automatic police protection in the United Kingdom. Since then, the Duke has been fighting to regain that protection. A long-awaited review by the responsible committee Ravec is still not completed.
King Charles (76) had offered the family accommodation on a royal estate - but the security arrangements would not have extended beyond the property. "The question is whether adequate and proportionate protection is guaranteed throughout the entire visit", a spokesperson for the Duke explained to "People" at the end of June.
Harry misses his homeland
How much the situation weighs on him, Harry made clear last year with regard to his children: "What they will miss is basically everything", he told the BBC. And further: "I miss the United Kingdom, I miss parts of the United Kingdom, of course I do. I find it really sad that I cannot show my children my homeland."
Archie was born in the United Kingdom in May 2019, Lilibet was born in California in 2021. She has visited her father's homeland only once so far - in 2022 on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
Overnight stay at palace cancelled
Shortly before the arrival, the dispute over accommodation additionally escalated. After ten days of back and forth, he was informed on Saturday evening that he could no longer stay overnight at Buckingham Palace, as the "Daily Mail" reports.
The reason given was that the Duke had taken too long to accept the King's invitation. Harry's spokesperson reacted sharply and accused the palace of withdrawing the offer "at the last moment".
Hope for a meeting with his father
Despite the public exchange of blows, Harry wants to see his father. "Harry continues to look forward to meeting Charles", the "Daily Mail" quotes an insider. The hope that Meghan and the children might still come to the United Kingdom later has also not been abandoned - "provided it can happen safely". Meghan is also expected at the Invictus Games events in Birmingham, where the countdown to the 2027 Games begins on Friday with a year's lead time.
Harry's five-day program in London and Birmingham is entirely dedicated to his long-standing charitable projects. A visit to the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire, where his mother Princess Diana (1961-1997) is buried, was also planned. Whether and when Harry will meet his father, who is suffering from cancer, during the trip is not yet certain - but both sides are said to want a meeting.
