Buckingham Palace says Prince Harry will not be staying at the palace during his visit to London this week, despite his team announcing this morning that he had accepted an invitation to do so.
Royal sources said the duke had not formally responded to the offer of accommodation at a royal residence by the deadline, which was the end of last week, and that Prince Harry was informed on Saturday evening that he could not stay at Buckingham Palace.
It is understood that the palace requires a minimum notice period to ensure a guest can be hosted and staff from the Royal Household provided.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry said that despite their earlier statement they understood that the offer to stay at the palace had now been “withdrawn” – a decision they described as “disappointing”.
In Buckingham Palace’s version of events, there was an offer of accommodation for Prince Harry, but the Sussex team had failed to confirm whether to accept and had then formally declined the invitation on Saturday.
According to Buckingham Palace, the duke’s team had later that same day changed their position and had accepted the offer to stay – but by then it was too late to make arrangements.
The palace said Prince Harry was told on Saturday evening that he couldn’t stay and that he was aware of the decision.
There were also concerns from the palace about the duke staying when a court result about his claims against Associated Newspapers was being published on Tuesday – with worries it could compromise the King’s constitutional position.
In response, a spokesman for the Duke of Sussex described the situation differently, claiming Buckingham Palace had withdrawn an offer that had been formally accepted.
The Sussex version of events said that the timing of the court case result was already known last week and rejected it as being a factor.
“It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment,” said the spokesman for the Duke of Sussex.
This acrimonious war of words is a row that shows how much distrust and poor communication exists between the two camps – the Sussex team and Buckingham Palace.
Both sides are putting out contradictory versions of the invitation to stay at the palace – with no sign of either side accepting the other’s account.
This could make a meeting between King Charles and Prince Harry, which had been expected this week, even more complicated.
Prince Harry is still set to carry out his engagements this week, with an expectation that he will be in the UK on Monday, ahead of his first event in London on Tuesday.
Prince Harry’s trip: How the briefings have changed so far
27 June: Prince Harry, Meghan and their children set to come to the UK, and expected to stay in a royal residence
28 June: Because of security fears, Prince Harry reconsiders plans to bring his family
29 June: Prince Harry still hoping security problems can be overcome to bring Meghan and children
2 July: Court sources say that the result of Prince Harry’s case against Associated Newspapers will be 7 July, the first day of the visit
4 July: Meghan and children will not come to the start of the trip to the UK in London, but might come to latter part of the week
6 July: The Sussexes’ team say Prince Harry had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace rejects this and says he had been told that the acceptance was too late
7 July: Prince Harry’s visit due to start in London
Prince Harry is travelling to the UK to promote the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham next year, and charity events.
It was already understood that the prince would not be accompanied by his wife Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, during the visit to London, after it was confirmed that the family would not be provided with taxpayer-funded police security.
But it is possible that they may join Prince Harry in Birmingham to promote the Invictus Games later in the week.
It is unclear whether a meeting between King Charles and his two grandchildren, aged seven and five – who he has not seen in person for four years – will take place under the revised schedule.
During his visit to Birmingham, Prince Harry is expected to visit the city’s children’s hospital and Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, which will be hosting the Invictus Games – held for injured military personnel.
There had been reports that the latter part of the trip would also include a visit to Althorp in Northampton, the family estate of Prince Harry’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. It is understood there were plans for him to take his wife and children to his mother’s private grave.
The Duke of Sussex’s long-running dispute with the UK government over security stretches back to his decision to step back from his role as a senior royal in 2020 and move to the US with his family.
He has contested a decision by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee’s Risk Management Board that because he was going to be an infrequent visitor to the UK, his security would be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
He has previously said he would not bring his family to the country without improved security arrangements, telling the BBC in 2025 that he could not “see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were last together in the UK in 2022, at the time of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
He has since travelled to the country alone, and met his father on a trip last September.
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Prince Harry and Meghan: Will they or won’t they, and will we care?
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Prince Harry will not be joined by Meghan and children on London trip
