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Buckingham offer withdrawn
Prince Harry’s U.K. visit hit a fresh snag in London after Buckingham Palace said he could no longer stay at the royal residence, with his spokesman telling PEOPLE that the offer had been "withdrawn."
“Gabriel Samaniego Prince Harry lands this Monday in the United Kingdom with an unexpected setback: he will not be able to stay at Buckingham Palace, as had been expected”
The dispute unfolded after the BBC first reported that Harry had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace, but the palace then said that this was not correct, and the offer was ultimately withdrawn.
The situation was tied to security arrangements, including the denial of official taxpayer-funded security by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC), which his team said drove him to come alone to London.
PEOPLE reported that Harry, 41, had accepted the accommodation offer on Saturday, July 4, before being told it was too late to do so, while the palace sources said he had initially declined and then accepted later on Saturday.
The controversy also intersected with an expected court decision on Tuesday, July 7 in the Associated Newspapers Limited case involving Harry and other prominent people including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley.
Two sides, conflicting accounts
Buckingham Palace’s account and Harry’s team’s account diverged sharply, with the palace saying Harry missed a deadline and staff could not be prepared on short notice.
The Telegraph described the palace’s position that “common courtesy required a minimum level of notice to be given to the staff who make a stay at a royal residence work,” while Harry’s spokesperson said the timing was unclear after he had formally accepted.
In the statement carried by PEOPLE, Harry’s spokesman said, "It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason."
The Guardian framed the episode as a reversal after Harry had accepted an invitation, quoting his spokesperson that it was “disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn” because officials had “been aware of [it] since last Thursday”.
The dispute also tied into the constitutional sensitivity of the impending High Court ruling, with the palace and courtiers concerned the King could be "compromise"d if Harry stayed at a royal residence while the case was decided.
What happens next
With the Buckingham Palace stay withdrawn, Harry was set to revert to alternative plans for private accommodation in London, while his wife Meghan Markle and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet would not join him for the London leg.
“- Published Buckingham Palace says the Duke of Sussex will not be staying at the palace during his visit to London this week, despite his team announcing he had accepted an invitation to do so”
NBC News said Harry’s spokesman indicated he would likely not stay at the monarch’s official residence or any other royal property when he visits London later this week, and that his family’s travel plans were walked back over the weekend.
The trip was scheduled to include engagements in London and Birmingham, with the Invictus Games one-year countdown in Birmingham and a five-day visit starting Tuesday.
CBS News reported that the visit would coincide with the delivery of a judgment expected Tuesday in Harry’s privacy claim against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, and that the palace had made multiple requests for clarification but did not receive a formal response.
The stakes for the family’s plans remained unresolved in the sources, with ABC News saying it was not known where Harry would stay in London and that it was also unclear whether Meghan and the children would join him later in Birmingham.
