Prince Harry is expected to return to the UK next week for a busy schedule of charity engagements, but a notable absence will overshadow the visit.
According to Sky News, the Duke of Sussex will undertake a series of engagements in the capital, including meetings related to the Invictus Games and visits to charities he has long supported.
However, the Duchess of Sussex, along with Archie and Lilibet, will remain in California.
Harry was reportedly hoping to bring his family to Birmingham for an event that would mark one year until the 2027 Invictus Games, but current concerns around security appear to have changed those plans.
While it is unclear whether Meghan and the children could join the Duke elsewhere in the UK, sources suggest London is off the family’s itinerary due to unresolved security arrangements.
It has been four years since Archie and Lilibet last saw their grandfather, King Charles, in person, and it is understood the monarch offered them accommodation at a royal residence should the family decide to travel.
Harry has remained caught in a long-running dispute over his level of protection in Britain after losing taxpayer-funded police security when he stepped away from royal duties in 2020.
Although he unsuccessfully challenged the decision in court, he is still awaiting a new review of his case after personally appealing for it to be reconsidered.
The duke has previously spoken on the subject.
“I don’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this time,” Harry said after his legal defeat over security measures last year.
Harry could spend time with his father during the trip, Palace has repeatedly stressed that the King has no role in decisions regarding the Duke’s security, which are handled independently by the government.
