Prince Harry misses the deadline to accept King Charles’ royal accommodation offer, with the Duke of Sussex to stay elsewhere. Prince Harry will not be staying at Buckingham Palace this week, it has been revealed, after he accepted an offer of royal accommodation from his estranged father, King Charles, but missed the deadline.
HELLO! has learned that the Duke of Sussex refused the offer from his father in advance of his forthcoming visit to the UK this Saturday, before agreeing in the afternoon, just in time to miss the deadline. The Duke of Sussex is set to arrive back in the UK for a five-day working visit on Tuesday, where he will mark the countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, and the question of his accommodation is now far from settled.
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Prince Harry’s Security Concerns Changed His Family’s UK Plans
It has since emerged that Meghan Markle and the couple’s children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, will not be making the journey to the capital due to security concerns and conflicting information about their whereabouts. Harry had previously been due to stay alone at the 775-room palace, which is undergoing a 369 million-pound renovation, while on his trip to the city, but it is believed he will have to make other arrangements.
The Duke of Sussex is due to spend time in London to promote the inaugural Birmingham Invictus Games, which are due to take place in 2027, but his family’s arrangements remain unclear after delays to the process. The issue has been complicated by the need for the Risk Management Board to approve the security arrangements for the Prince, a process carried out by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec). Although the father-of-two learned on Friday that the crucial security review had not yet taken place, his protection detail has been working closely to make the arrangements for the Duke to take place.
Harry has previously insisted that he intends to make time to promote this year’s event despite logistical challenges, and it is thought that Meghan and the children may join him for the remainder of his trip to the UK outside of London. A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said: “After RAVEC decided not to protect the Duke’s family, it was up to him to make other arrangements. “The Duke made alternative security arrangements last week, and once those were in place, he accepted the offer of accommodation over the weekend.
Prince Harry’s Buckingham Palace Stay Sparked Hopes of a Royal Reunion
“It is therefore disappointing that this offer has now been withdrawn with no explanation other than a reference to Tuesday’s ruling in the case brought by Associated Newspapers Limited against Buckingham Palace. “Buckingham Palace has known about that ruling since last Thursday, so it is baffling as to why the offer of accommodation was withdrawn at such a late stage, having been formally accepted by the Duke.”
An olive branch from King Charles. With the news that Prince Harry had been offered a place to stay at his father’s home, a reunion between the estranged brothers seems more likely than ever. Harry was due to be staying in a royal residence while visiting the UK in June, after he crossed the Atlantic for the first time since he and Meghan left their roles as senior members of the Royal Family. Buckingham Palace appeared to be a logical choice for the Prince, offering both privacy and space, while giving him the opportunity to keep out of the way of his father, King Charles, and Queen Camilla, who both live at Clarence House.
Many Royal family fans wanted to believe the meeting at Buckingham Palace was the beginning of the two brothers’ reconciliation. Also, after these four years being apart from their grandparents, Harry and Meghan’s children might finally be able to visit their grandparents’ homes. As a result of their relocation to Los Angeles, Archie and Lilibet have had the chance to see their grandfather only once, at the 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Also, it was the very first time for Lilibet to meet King Charles.
What Prince Harry does in the UK
The Duke of Sussex is due to start his five-day working visit with an Invictus Foundation event at Chatham House, where he will bring together stakeholders, policymakers, and members of the Invictus Community. After that, there are chances that the family members may appear at various events in London. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will very likely carry out their first joint public engagements in the UK since they renounced their royal duties back in 2020.
As part of his ongoing role as Colonel of the Royal Hospital, Harry will also have a meeting with the Chelsea pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. As Patron of WellChild, the Prince will also mark the 20th anniversary of the first WellChild Nurse by visiting the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. At the NEC, Harry will watch and participate in several events, while the athletes from the previous Invictus Games will hold several competitions.
It has yet to be confirmed whether any of his family will accompany him to any of these events. As per The Sun, Prince Harry is considering taking his kids to visit the grave of their late grandmother, Princess Diana, at the Althorp Estate. Initially, the report mentioned that Prince Harry was going to continue living in his father’s house, Buckingham Palace. However, after Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that the Duke would not be allowed, it was disclosed that he would not be staying there.
