Prince Harry may cancel UK family visit after being refused police protection
The Duke of Sussex is reconsidering plans to bring his wife and children to the UK next month after his request for taxpayer-funded police protection was rejected. Harry and Meghan had planned their first family trip in four years for the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July.
Prince Harry is reportedly reconsidering his plans to bring his wife and children to the United Kingdom next month after the government declined his request for police protection funded by taxpayers.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had scheduled their first family visit to Britain in four years to attend the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July. Last week, Harry was said to be "excited" about the prospect of his children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, reuniting with King Charles.
However, the family trip now appears uncertain after the government refused his request for police protection outside royal residences. A government spokesperson stated on Sunday that the UK's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate, and that it is longstanding policy not to disclose details of such arrangements to avoid compromising their integrity.
Harry is said to be "distraught" over the decision, which came just days before the planned arrival, but is reportedly keen to find a way to make the trip happen. A spokesperson for the Sussexes has been contacted for comment.
Last year, Harry lost a legal battle against the Home Office over automatic police protection while in the UK, having previously claimed it was unsafe to bring his family without it. Since then, he has undergone a full risk assessment and had been awaiting a final decision from the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the Home Office committee responsible for authorizing such protection.
Ravec decisions are made by an independent chair, and its membership includes representatives from the royal household, the Home Office, the Cabinet Office, and the Metropolitan Police. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood does not contribute to individual Ravec decisions.
Harry met his father last September at Clarence House in London, their first face-to-face meeting since February 2024. That meeting was seen as a step toward improving relations. King Charles has not seen his youngest grandchildren in person since 2022, during the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
It remains unknown whether the king planned to meet the children during next month's visit. However, Harry has reportedly told friends in the US that he was excited for his children to reconnect with their paternal grandfather. An LA-based business associate of the couple noted a "warming of the frost" between the king and his youngest son following Harry's public attacks in his memoir, "Spare," and television interviews.
