Prince Harry will not be staying at Buckingham Palace during his upcoming visit to the UK, contrary to earlier reports from his team. The Duke of Sussex is set to travel to the UK this week to participate in events leading up to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. Initially, it was disclosed that Harry had been offered accommodation at Buckingham Palace for his visit.
However, recent developments indicate that the Palace has informed Prince Harry’s representatives that the accommodation at Buckingham Palace is no longer available, citing reasons related to logistics and security protocols. The royal residence, with its 240 bedrooms, allocates 52 rooms for royal use, necessitating adequate notice for proper arrangements to be made when hosting a member of the Royal Family.
In response to the withdrawal of the accommodation offer, Harry’s spokesperson expressed disappointment, highlighting the last-minute nature of the decision and referencing a legal judgment as a contributing factor. The spokesperson mentioned that despite formal acceptance of the accommodation offer, it was unexpectedly rescinded following the legal ruling involving Associated Newspapers Limited.
As part of his UK itinerary, Prince Harry is also scheduled to visit the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. While there were initial plans for his family, including wife Meghan Markle and children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to join him, their presence is now uncertain due to the denial of police protection for Harry and his family during their stay in the UK.
The decision to withhold police protection for Prince Harry and his family has reportedly caused frustration, as a formal request for security was turned down. Despite previous concerns about safety, Prince Harry had accepted the offer to stay at a royal residence during this visit, a departure from his previous refusals to stay in such accommodations on past trips to the UK.
Following the couple’s relocation to the US in 2022, Prince Harry’s access to police protection was revoked, requiring advance notice to the Royal and VIP Executive Committee for any UK visits. The situation remains fluid, with uncertainties surrounding Meghan and the children potentially joining Harry later in the week for the Invictus event.