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Harry goes alone to London
Prince Harry will travel to London without Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet after a dispute over security arrangements, with the change coming as the family’s planned five-day U.K. visit is reshaped around where taxpayer-funded police protection would apply.
“Prince Harry no longer plans to bring his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, with him to London next week amid security concerns, ABC News understands”
News.com.au said the Duchess and the children “will not join Prince Harry in London next week due to an ongoing dispute over security arrangements,” casting doubt over whether King Charles will meet his grandchildren during the revised schedule.
USA TODAY reported that Harry “will no longer bring Duchess Meghan and their children along during the London portion of the visit,” while adding that the rest of the trip remains under consideration.
The BBC said Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will not travel to London “after it was confirmed that the family would not be provided with taxpayer-funded police security,” and that Prince Harry will attend the Royal Hospital Chelsea meetings related to the Invictus Games on Wednesday alone.
Security row drives revisions
Vanity Fair described Harry’s expectations of protection as unmet, quoting a source close to the Sussexes saying, “That has not been the case…The king has made it clear that while he wants to see his estranged son and grandchildren, he will not intervene in security matters.”
CNN said the disagreement continues over police protection, noting that Harry had hoped to bring Meghan and their two young children on the five-day visit but that he had concerns over his family’s safety as they were not offered taxpayer-funded protection while in the UK.
ABC News reported that the Sussexes had not yet decided whether Meghan and their children will join Harry in Birmingham, where he has engagements scheduled on July 9 and 10.
People added that a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex told the outlet on June 29 that “The issue is whether appropriate and proportionate protective security is being provided throughout the entirety of the visit.”
Invictus countdown and possible reunions
The revised trip keeps Harry’s focus on the Invictus Games countdown, with CBS News saying he is visiting next week to mark the one-year countdown toward next year’s Invictus Games, which will be held from July 10 to 17, 2027.
The BBC said the change means Meghan will not join Harry on Wednesday for Royal Hospital Chelsea meetings related to the Invictus Games, and that the visit moves from London to Birmingham on Thursday when Harry will visit the city’s children’s hospital to support WellChild.
The BBC also said it is unclear whether a meeting between King Charles and his two grandchildren, aged seven and five, will take place under the revised schedule, noting they have not been seen in person for four years.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that discussions continue around the security elements for the later part of the visit, with a Home Office spokesperson stating: “It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on protective security arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security.”
