Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were set to meet their grandpa King Charles for the first time since 2022 next month, but according to the Guardian, a source close to Prince Harry said the Sussex family’s “plans to see family, friends and visit various charitable causes close to the duke’s heart” have been “pulled out from under their feet at the 11th hour.”
Security in the U.K. has long been an issue for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and on Monday, June 29, the couple’s spokesperson issued a statement addressing their concerns for the trip. While accommodation at a royal residence has reportedly been offered to the duke and duchess, the spokesperson stated, “Safe accommodation is only one element of an effective protective security plan because risk follows the person, not the place.”
The rep added, “The issue has never been accommodation. The issue is whether appropriate and proportionate protective security is being provided throughout the entirety of the visit.”
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Prince Harry and Meghan celebrated Princess Lilibet’s birthday on June 4.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Prince Harry’s taxpayer-funded police protection was removed once he stepped down as a senior working royal, and he’s been fighting the decision in court ever since.
While the Duke of Sussex awaits a final review of his security status ordered by the U.K.’s royal and VIP executive committee (Ravec), his representative stated, “The independent Risk Management Board that Ravec itself decided was necessary last November has still not taken place. It is therefore difficult to understand how the proportionality of the current arrangements can credibly be maintained without that independent assessment.”
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“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,” the statement ended.
Prince Harry is pictured outside The Royal Courts of Justice in London in January.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
A source close to Prince Harry told the Guardian that the duke was concerned about his children being followed by photographers without a full security detail in place.
“The hope is they can meet their grandfather, but there is no way that can happen if they are chased by paparazzi wherever they go from the moment they step off the plane,” the source said. “He won’t put his children through that.”
While the Sussexes continues to assess their plans to travel for the Invictus Games One Year to Go Event in Birmingham, the family is currently vacationing in Europe, according to People.