King Charles’ patience has reportedly “snapped” after Prince Harry arrived in the UK amidst a storm of confusion over his bid to stay at Buckingham Palace.
On Monday night, the Duke of Sussex’s spokesperson announced he had accepted the King’s offer of royal accommodation, only for the Palace to release its own statement moments later stating that the invitation had been withdrawn.
The Palace said Harry, 41, had missed the deadline to accept the offer, meaning it would now be logistically impossible for him to stay there during his five-day visit to London and Birmingham.
In response, Harry’s team claimed he had formally accepted the offer over the weekend, and it was “disappointing” that the invitation had been “withdrawn at the last moment”.
After the Duke of Sussex landed in the UK on Monday evening, a royal aide said King Charles, 77, was being “tested beyond his endurance” by the “chaos” caused by his youngest son’s homecoming.
“The King’s patience snapped,” the insider told The Sun.
“He wants to be a loving father and grandfather but that was being tested beyond endurance.
“He is not willing to be pushed around, nor to indulge a constant state of chaos.”
The newspaper also reports that sources close to Harry are even questioning whether the Palace’s offer of accommodation was genuine in the first place.
Shortly before Harry touched down in the UK, his spokesperson, Liam Maguire, announced the duke had accepted the invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace.
Soon after, the Palace stated that Maguire’s announcement was incorrect, and Harry had formally declined the offer of accommodation on Saturday, before changing his mind later that day and accepting.
By this point, the offer’s deadline had passed, and it was too late for the Palace to make arrangements for staff and hospitality.
There were concerns from the Palace about Harry staying at a royal residence at the same time his court result against Associated Newspapers is published on Tuesday, the BBC reports.
Maguire hit back that Harry’s delayed acceptance of the Palace’s offer was because he had to “make alternative security arrangements” after his request for taxpayer-funded police protection was rejected.
“Following RAVEC’s decision not to provide security for his family, the Duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend,” he said.
“It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason.
“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.”
It is understood that Harry will be attending the court in person to hear the result of his case.
Later in the week, the Duke of Sussex will visit some of his charities in London, before travelling just over two hours to Birmingham to raise support for the Invictus Games 2027.
Meghan Markle, 44, and his children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, were scheduled to join Harry during his week of engagements, but this plan was scrapped because of security concerns.
Meghan and the children will not join Harry in London, but may come to the UK for the later part of the visit, possibly to visit Princess Diana’s grave on the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire.