Prince Harry’s planned stay at Buckingham Palace withdrawn
LONDON — Britain’s Prince Harry will likely not be staying at the monarch’s longtime official residence when he visits London later this week, his spokesman said on Monday, in the latest twist in his turbulent relationship with his royal relations, reports BritPanorama.
Harry, who lives in the United States with his wife, Meghan, and their two children, had been due to stay at Buckingham Palace in central London, according to his spokesman. The former royal and his wife have resided in the United States since 2020 after stepping down as working members of the royal family and amid an embarrassing public split with the family.
Citing Buckingham Palace, multiple outlets reported that the Household requires a minimum notice period to ensure a guest can be hosted at a royal residence, and that the Duke of Sussex had missed a deadline.
However, Harry’s spokesman indicated it was “disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn.”
He added that Harry had spent last week “making alternative security arrangements” and was able to formally accept the accommodation offer for himself over the weekend.
“It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment,” the spokesman stated.
Buckingham Palace told NBC News Monday it was not commenting on the matter.
Harry, 41, is scheduled to visit London and Birmingham for a series of charity events this week. His wife and children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, were initially due to accompany him, but this was also walked back over the weekend, raising further speculation about the relationship between King Charles III and his youngest son since Harry stepped back and later aired his grievances in his memoir “Spare” in 2023.
While the spokesman told British media Harry’s family would no longer be joining him on the trip to London, citing a dispute with the government over security provisions for them, he did not rule out that they might join his trip later when he visits Birmingham.
Harry’s trip starting Tuesday also coincides with an expected court judgment in his privacy claim against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail. His representative mentioned this could be a factor in the offer withdrawal but added Buckingham Palace had been aware of the impending judgment in the case “since last Thursday.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were last together in the U.K. in 2022 for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Harry, the fifth in line to the throne, has visited the country alone multiple times and met briefly with the king on a trip last September after claiming his father had previously refused to speak to him.
Harry had publicly alleged bitter internal feuds, including the breakdown of his relationship with Prince William, and claims his brother physically attacked him. He also spoke about his father appearing to be concerned at being overshadowed by his sons and their wives in the media. Harry noted his explosive book was “not about revenge, it is about accountability.”
The king, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, has rarely seen his two grandchildren since their births. After expressing his personal grievances about his family in interviews and in his memoir, Harry stated in May 2025 that he wanted the fighting to end, adding that he did not “know how much longer my father has.”
