Prince Harry is set to return to the UK next week, with hopes of bringing his young children for a rare visit to the country where he grew up. However, privacy concerns and ongoing family disputes that prompted his departure continue to cast a shadow over the potential trip.
The Duke of Sussex is expected to arrive with his wife Meghan on Tuesday. The date also marks the day he will learn the outcome of a costly court case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, concerning allegations of widespread unlawful behaviour.
Further complicating his plans is an unresolved dispute with the government regarding security arrangements for his family. Speculation also surrounds whether his children will meet their grandfather, as the family reportedly seeks reconciliation after years of estrangement.
Harry has resided in the United States with his American wife Meghan since 2020. His children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, last visited Britain four years ago, and the prince has previously expressed a strong desire to bring them to the nation he cherishes.
Yet, the Duke has consistently stated that the level of police protection offered in Britain has previously prevented him from bringing his children. A significant question mark therefore remains over whether they will accompany him on this upcoming visit.
“The Duke continues to explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the UK,” his spokesman said earlier this week.
During Harry’s visits last year, a known stalker was said to have got close to him on two occasions.
The main focus of Harry’s trip is to promote the Invictus Games, his sporting event for wounded military veterans that is taking place in Birmingham, central England, next year. He is also due to attend a number of charitable engagements.
He will likely be asked by media for reaction once the judgment is revealed in the high-profile court case brought by Harry, alongside Elton John and others. At stake are millions of pounds in costs and reputational damage for whichever side loses.
Harry, 41, and Meghan stepped down as working members of the royal family when they moved to the U.S., citing a desire to be financially independent and to escape what they characterised as media intrusion into their private lives.
Over the six years since, the depth of the bad blood between Harry and his father and brother has become clear, made public in interviews given by Harry and in his autobiography.
The king has barely seen his two grandchildren since they were born but Harry said in May last year he wanted the fighting to end.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” he told the BBC in an interview.
Months later, he met King Charles, 77, for the first time in almost two years, but it is not known what plans there are for the family to see Charles, who is being treated for cancer, on this visit.
While in Britain, the family are expected to stay at royal palaces, where there will be security provision, as well as at private residences.
The government decided to remove automatic police protection for Harry in Britain when he stepped down from royal duties in 2020, a decision he took to court, but lost at appeal last year.
Asked about what police protection Harry and his family would have on this trip, a government spokesperson said it was their policy not to provide information on arrangements for high-profile figures for security reasons.
“The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate,” the spokesperson said.
