Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly denied a request to bring their own photographer to capture a milestone family moment involving their daughter, Princess Lilibet, and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the United States in 2020, are said to have arranged for their daughter to meet her great-grandmother during a visit to the UK in June 2022.
According to a resurfaced account from a palace insider, the couple wanted to bring a personal photographer for the occasion- but the request was rejected immediately.
“Harry and Meghan wanted their photographer to capture the moment Lilibet met the Queen. But they were told no chance. It was a private family meeting,” a palace insider told The Sun.
The source further claimed palace officials were concerned any images taken during the meeting could eventually be shared with American media outlets.
However, representatives close to the Sussexes strongly disputed the account at the time.
A source told the New York Post that the 41-year-old Prince and the 44-year-old former Suits actress “didn’t even bother asking” for photographs because of the 96-year-old monarch’s declining health.
“They just enjoyed a private and intimate visit with the Queen,” the source said, adding that Harry and Meghan “didn’t even bother asking for photos as the 96-year-old monarch wasn’t feeling well”.
The same source also claimed Lilibet, who was named after the Queen’s childhood nickname, met her great-grandmother on a second occasion during the family’s trip to Britain for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The June 2022 visit would prove to be among the final meetings between the Sussexes and the monarch before her death on September 8 that year.
Both Harry and Meghan returned to Britain to attend the Queen’s funeral, although their children remained at home in California.
Since relocating overseas, relations between the Sussexes and the wider Royal Family have remained strained, with Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, believed to have had only limited contact with their British relatives.
The children are understood to have met their 77-year-old grandfather, King Charles III, only a handful of times, while contact with other senior royals is believed to have been minimal.
That situation could soon change, however, amid reports the Sussexes are preparing for a family visit to the UK next month.
Harry, Meghan and the kids are expected to attend the One Year To Go Invictus Games events in Birmingham in mid-July, with reports suggesting Archie and Lilibet could accompany them.
News.com.au reported that Harry has experienced “great sadness” over the circumstances that have prevented him from regularly bringing his family back to Britain.
“It’s been a real point of great sadness- for Harry especially- that he’s been unable to bring his wife and kids back to the UK safely to reconnect with friends and family, but anyone would understand his desire to put their safety first,” a source close to the Duke said.
“He would love to introduce the children to his wider family, to show them the UK, where he grew up- his homeland. That would be a natural thing for any parent.”
Security remains at the heart of the issue. In May 2025, Harry lost his legal appeal to restore taxpayer-funded police protection while in Britain.
However, reports emerged in December that the Duke’s security arrangements were being reassessed by the UK’s Home Office.
The outcome of that review has not yet been made public.
Speaking to the BBC following the court decision, Harry suggested his ability to return to Britain with his family remained heavily dependent on security guarantees.
“I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” he said.
He also claimed he could “only come to the UK safely” if invited by the King.