Prince Harry will not be joined by Meghan Markle and kids in visit to UK
Prince Harry will travel to the United Kingdom alone next week without his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The decision comes after Harry was denied taxpayer-funded police protection for his family's visit.
Harry's plans to bring his family back to London have been scrapped after he determined it would not be safe to bring his wife and children without adequate security. The 41-year-old will fly solo to London on Monday, beginning a five-day trip scheduled from July 7 to 11. He is expected to visit the Royal Hospital Chelsea on Wednesday July 8, before moving to Birmingham on Thursday July 9, to promote the Invictus Games, scheduled for July 2027.
It remains possible that Markle and the children may join him later in the week as the visit moves to Birmingham. The Duchess was scheduled to join him at an engagement in Birmingham, though discussions around security elements for that part of the visit are still ongoing.
The couple announced their full UK schedule late last month but were forced to change their plans 24 hours later after receiving notice from the Home Office that they would not qualify for taxpayer-funded security. The Sussexes were stripped of their right to publicly funded security after quitting their royal roles in March 2020 to establish themselves in the United States.
It remains unclear whether Harry has accepted his father the King's invitation to stay in a royal residence. Harry is understood to be liaising with the King directly, with any reunion plans made privately between them. However, the King's hopes of finally reuniting with his American grandchildren appear increasingly unlikely.
Former royal correspondent Jennie Bond acknowledged the potential for family reconciliation. She stated that "I think it's still too early to anticipate any sort of meeting between the brothers," but suggested that if the visit proceeds and the children meet the King, "it could conceivably be the start of a thaw in the ice between William and Harry."
Harry's family have not visited the country since 2022 when they returned for the late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Markle has not been to the UK since the Queen's funeral in September 2022, while Archie and Lilibet last visited in June 2022.