Prince Harry’s visit to Britain has—in the eyes of the media—been all about his relationship with his father but another key relationship is also on the line.
The Duke of Sussex touched down in his home country on Monday and went straight to St George’s Chapel, in Windsor, to pay respects at Queen Elizabeth II’s final resting place, before an appearance at the WellChild Awards in the early evening.
More is planned, spanning multiple charities and causes, but the overarching message is perhaps less about family than the media coverage might suggest and more about Harry’s determination to rebuild bridges with the U.K.
This is not the first sign, despite the fact his messaging on the subject has been confused at points.
Now, though, more than ever, it is clear Harry does not want to give up on his home country—even though it will not give him the police protection officers he says he needs to be safe there.
Prince Harry speaks with an award recipient at the annual WellChild Awards 2025, at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, in London, England, on September 8, 2025.
Prince Harry speaks with an award recipient at the annual WellChild Awards 2025, at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, in London, England, on September 8, 2025.
Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty Images
Prince Harry’s Visit to Britain
Prince Harry attended the WellChild Awards on Monday night where he spent time with children who have complex medical needs and their parents, as well as handing out an award.
And in his speech, he struck a philosophical but ultimately positive tone: “Thank you for showing us the light when all too often darkness can consume us. So much has happened since those early days—for me, for you, and for Wellchild. The world has thrown a fair few challenges our way.
“But through it all, WellChild has remained rock solid in its mission: to give children and young people with complex medical needs the chance to thrive, not in hospital, but at home, surrounded by family, friends, and community.”
On Tuesday, he will be in Nottingham announcing a major donation to Children in Need and working to support a number of other charities.
It all has echoes of the life he used to live as a working royal not least because many of these links were developed during that time.
Prince Harry’s Complex Relationship With UK
For years, Harry gave a conflicting account of his relationship with Britain. In January 2022, he announced he was suing the Government in an effort to get his police protection team back.
A legal representative said at the time: “The U.K. will always be Prince Harry’s home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in.
“With the lack of police protection, comes too great a personal risk. Prince Harry hopes that his petition—after close to two years of pleas for security in the U.K.—will resolve this situation.”
Just a few months later though, he gave Today a somewhat different account: “Home for me now is, for the time being, it’s in the states. And it feels that way as well. We’ve been welcomed with open arms. And it’s got such a great community up in Santa Barbara.”
And as Newsweek revealed last year, he even changed his country of residence to America in official paperwork filed at Britain’s Company’s House in June 2023. That change happened around the time he lost his U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage, having been evicted by Charles.
Signs Prince Harry Wants To Win Back Britain
However, more recently, signs have increasingly emerged of renewed commitment to Britain. In summer 2024, Prince Harry and the team behind his Invictus Games tournament for wounded veterans had a choice to make about where to host the next tournament with a shortlist of just two cities: Washington D.C. or Birmingham in the U.K.
It must have been tempting to choose the capital city of the most powerful country in the world, a stone’s throw from American politicians who could have been enticed to show their support, at a time when it was still possible Kamala Harris might have won the election no doubt to cheers of celebration from the Sussexes.
But Harry and his team chose Birmingham, one of Britain’s larger cities but not its capital and still reeling from Birmingham City Council declaring itself bankrupt a year after hosting another major tournament—the Commonwealth Games.
It was always a surprise decision and showed that for Harry at least, Britain is not dead to him yet, no matter how complicated his relationship with his home country may have become.
Around the same time, in April 2024, Harry and Meghan Markle chose, for the first time in years, to hire a U.K. based press officer, Charlie Gipson. They parted ways with him a year later, which could have been a moment to decide a U.K. presence was not needed but they replaced with Liam Maguire, who Harry has known for years via his charity projects.
Maguire was part of the team photographed by the British press holding a clandestine meeting with Tobyn Andreae, King Charles III’s press secretary in July.
And now, Harry’s visit to the U.K. is his most packed working trip to Britain yet, engaging with charities he has not showed up for since his days as a working royal.
Among them is Coach Core. Harry and Meghan both supported the sporting initiative on a visit to Lougborough University, in Leicestershire, England, in September 2018.
Not only that, but it comes after Harry lost his police protection lawsuit, derailing his hopes of getting back his Metropolitan Police bodyguards without which he said Britain was not safe to travel to.
It all suggests Harry has not given up his relationship with Britain and still believes he can win over public opinion. That, however, may prove a difficult task.
How Britain Views Prince Harry and Meghan
YouGov regularly polls the British public on attitudes to Harry and Meghan and has been charting the steady decline in their reputations dating back to their decision to move to America in 2020.
In August, the pollster recorded 28 percent viewed him positively compared to 62 percent who viewed him negatively, giving him a net approval of minus 34.
And Meghan fairs even worse, liked by 20 percent and disliked by 67 percent, giving a net approval rating of minus 47.
Harry’s visit has so far gone well, with coverage remaining positive and no signs of veiled swipes at his family.
It remains unclear whether he will get the meeting with his father that has served as a backdrop to media coverage.
The visit could still prove a win for Harry, though, even if it does not happen if he manages to take a small step on a long road to showing Britain he still wants to do good.
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