Prince Harry will travel to London solo today, according to reports, leaving the Duchess of Sussex and the couple’s children behind due to security concerns.
This has cast doubts on the couple’s plans to visit King Charles with Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, who haven’t seen their grandfather in person since 2022 during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Harry will reportedly travel to London solo due to security concerns. Emmanuel Osodi/Anadolu
The children were not due to attend any public events.
Royal reporter Russell Myers told Today this is the latest in a series of changes by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since they first confirmed their UK trip, adding the “ball is in Harry’s court” when it comes to a possible meeting with his family and King Charles.
“Harry is … due to jet into the UK in a few hours this morning (Monday night Australian time), but he won’t be coming with Meghan and the children,” Myers said.
It has been reported Harry and Meghan were already in Europe holidaying with their children ahead of the UK trip, however this has not been confirmed.
Myer said it isn’t known if Harry will meet up with Meghan and the children later in the week following his initial engagements in London.
“That’s the big question, because Harry said just a few days ago last weekend that they were all coming, that they were staying at a mixture of a royal residence and family and friends,” he continued.
“About 24 hours later they received notice from the Home Office that they wouldn’t be receiving taxpayer-funder security, but that has always been the case.
“Why Harry’s thought it might be a good idea to release all his operational details of his trip is anyone’s guess. However, Harry’s going to be coming for a couple of days. Whether Meghan and the children join him later on down the line is anyone’s guess at the moment.”
Plans for Archie and Lilibet to visit with King Charles are reportedly in doubt. Instagram/@Meghan
Myer said the King is looking forward to seeing Harry, and was looking forward to seeing his grandchildren.
“It would have been a great family reunion. Saying that, they’re not going to be meeting the Prince and Princess of Wales, that relationship is still very very much fractured,” he continued.
“But all this game-playing and trying to force the government’s hand into certain decisions is rather unsavoury.”
Harry famously lost his legal bid for taxpayer-funded security during trips to the UK in May 2025.
Myer said “the ball is very much in Harry’s court” when it comes to his children meeting King Charles during this trip, and it is a matter of wait and see.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were scheduled to visit the UK from July 7 to 11 to kick off the traditional “One Year to Go” countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, which will take place in Birmingham.
The last-minute change of plans is due to Harry’s ongoing security concerns, having had his formal request for taxpayer-funded security for his wife and children rejected.
The BBC has reported the Duke’s team put forward a formal request for police security for himself and his family while they are in the UK but were told on Friday that no taxpayer-funded security would be provided during their trip.
The children weren’t expected to many any public appearances during the trip. Instagram/@meghan
Prince Harry is scheduled to attend a series of charity engagements and events promoting the 2027 Invictus Games, beginning with a visit to Chatham House where he will meet with policymakers, experts, and members of the Invictus Community.
The Duchess was due to carry out her first engagement in the capital since before Megxit in March 2020 at a London hospital with Harry. This too is now in doubt.
The pair is reportedly assessing their options.
Following his commitments in the London, the Duke of Sussex is then scheduled to travel to Birmingham later in the week.
There, he will visit a local children’s hospital for WellChild and mark the one-year countdown to Birmingham hosting the 2027 Invictus Games.
Meghan is still expected to attend the Invictus event at Birmingham’s NEC at the end of the week.
Meghan is still expected to join Harry at an Invictus event later this week. Getty
It is also understood that Harry and Meghan are still planning to take their children to Althorp, in Northants, for their visit to the final resting place of his late mother, Princess Diana.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly offered accommodation at Buckingham Palace in London by King Charles for the trip.
Prince Harry has previously said that without adequate, state-backed protection, his children would not be safe and that he could not risk putting them “in danger”.
The couple are said to have been offered accommodation at Buckingham Palace by King Charles. Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Under the current arrangement, Harry must provide 28 days’ notice of his plans to visit Britain, with taxpayer-funded security decided on a case-by-case basis.
Prince Harry’s private security detail, who travel with the family, has done its own risk assessment and identified serious concerns.
A spokesperson for the duke said: “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”.