The Duke of Sussex will accept an offer from his father the king to stay at Buckingham Palace when he returns to London soon in a stunning turnaround from the last time he was in the UK.
Prince Harry is due to travel from California for a series of events in September, barely two months after he and wife Meghan, and their two children, reunited with the monarch in the UK.
Prince Harry is expected to stay at Buckingham Palace when he is back in the UK in September after receiving a fresh offer from King Charles. Getty Images
The Duchess of Sussex, along with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, flew into Britain under a cloud of secrecy from their holiday base in Portugal and were not seen at all during their brief time in the UK.
Prince Harry attended various public events, including a celebration in Birmingham to promote the Invictus Games which will be held there in 2027.
Meghan had been due to join her husband at the Invictus Games launch but pulled out at the last minute when Harry’s application for taxpayer-funded security was denied.
The Sussexes stayed at one of the royal residences during their time in the UK and visited the childhood home of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, while there.
Meghan shared several photos from their holiday, showing Archie and Lilibet running through the grounds of Althorp House − which has been home to the Spencer family for more than 500 years.
It is where Prince Harry’s mother is buried.
The family’s visit to the UK in early July marked the first time King Charles had seen his US-based grandchildren since Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.
Charles hosted Prince Harry and Meghan, and Archie and Lilibet, at his private home, Highgrove, during their stay.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet visited Althorp House, the childhood home of Princess Diana, during their visit to the UK. Harry and Archie were photographed carrying bouquets of flowers. Instagram/Meghan
The king had offered Prince Harry a room inside Buckingham Palace while he was in the UK, but the duke failed to confirm his acceptance of the offer in time. When Harry finally told the Royal Household he wanted to stay there, he was told it was too late and a room was not available at such short notice.
For Harry’s next visit to London, however, the situation is expected to be very different.
According to The Sun, King Charles has once again offered Prince Harry accommodation inside Buckingham Palace, which the duke’s team will accept well in advance.
Currently, Prince Harry must give the royal household, and the government, 28 days’ notice of his plans to travel to the UK.
Prince Harry will attend the WellChild Awards in early September, a charity he has been patron of since 2007. It is one of a few patronages he was able to retain after stepping back as a senior working royal in 2020.
While Prince Harry is returning to the UK in September, it is unclear if Meghan and their children will go too. Getty
It is unknown if Meghan and their children will accompany Harry to the UK in September.
While King Charles is likely to be at Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, when Harry is in town, there is a possibility father and son will meet again.
Last year, Prince Harry had tea with the king inside Clarence House in central London for a brief visit that coincided with the 2025 WellChild Awards.
King’s right-hand man resigns
Meanwhile, a senior royal aide Prince Harry once described as “the Wasp” is retiring from service after working for the king and queen for 20 years.
Sir Clive Alderton, the principal private secretary to King Charles and Queen Camilla for the past 11 years, will step down in May next year.
Alderton, who is paid approximately $600,000 per year, has been an instrumental figure in the royal household for decades and was key to the smooth transition when the change of throne happened in 2022.
Sir Clive Alderton, King Charles’ private secretary, will leave the royal household after more than 20 years of service. Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images
But Prince Harry criticised Alderton in his 2023 memoir Spare, calling him one of the “men in grey suits” at the palace.
While not referring to Alderton by name, Harry nicknamed him “the Wasp” and wrote: “Without warning, he’d give you such a stab with his outsized stinger that you’d cry out in confusion”.
Alderton was among the senior aides who were part of the Sandringham Summit in 2020, enforcing Queen Elizabeth II’s wishes that there could be no “half-in half-out” arrangement when he and Meghan announced their plans to leave the UK.
Alderton is widely credited for steering the monarchy through some of its most recent troubles, including the exit of Harry and Meghan and the ousting of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
A palace spokesman said the king and queen were “deeply grateful to Clive for his tireless support and wise counsel over the years, and for the enduring loyalty that will ensure a smooth transition to his successor”.