Prince Harry will reportedly travel to the UK alone ahead of the 2027 Invictus Games, with ongoing security concerns preventing Meghan Markle and their children from joining him.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as working members of the royal family in 2020 – a move that resulted in the loss of their taxpayer-funded police protection while in the UK.
Prince Harry is expected to make a rare visit to Britain in preparation for the 2027 Invictus Games, but reports suggest he will be jet-setting across the pond alone.
According to Page Six, The Duke of Sussex had previously hoped to bring his wife, Meghan and their children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, with him to the UK for this trip, yet refuses to because of concerns about their security.
The report also claimed Harry hoped the trip could be a reunion between father and son, with Page Six claiming he “desperately” wanted to visit King Charles.
Harry has been fighting to have his UK security arrangements reinstated since 2020 and has repeatedly said he does not feel safe bringing his family to Britain without adequate protection.
“The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the United States,” Harry said in a statement to the High Court of London in 2023.
“That cannot happen if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.
“I can’t put my wife in danger like that, and given my experiences in life, I’m reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”
Following the loss of his appeal against the UK government’s decision on his security arrangements, Harry told the BBC he was “devastated” by the outcome.
He also claimed his father “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”.
He said the lack of security impacts him “every single day” and only allows him to safely return to the UK when he is invited by the Royal Family, as that would ensure him the protection.
Royal commentators have been largely divided over the Sussexes’ request for taxpayer-funded security, claiming the quasi-royal couple don’t have the same rights as they used to.
The couple’s trip to Australia this year also caused backlash amid reports that the public had to allegedly foot the bill for security and policing operations, with some saying their antics are “blurring the lines between private business and monarchy business”.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich said the couple’s behaviour since stepping back as working royals has been “utterly unacceptable”.
“What Queen Elizabeth II viewed as totally and utterly unacceptable has been adopted by the Sussexes as their modus operandi, blurring the line between being private citizens and wannabe celebrities while leveraging their royal connections,” Fordwich told Fox News.
“Each trip they make is styled to be rather like a faux-royal tour as they seem to monetize almost every moment.”