Prince Harry Denied Palace Stay Amid Security Dispute

Buckingham Palace says Prince Harry will not be staying at the palace for part of his visit to London this week despite his team announcing this morning that he had accepted an invitation to do so.

Royal sources say 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 was told over the weekend that he could no longer 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Harry said that despite their earlier statement - they understood that the offer to stay at the palace had now been "withdrawn" - a decision they described as disappointing.

Prince Harry is travelling to the UK to promote the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham next year, and charity events.

It is understood that he will not be accompanied by his wife Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, when he visits 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 later 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.