Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been offered accommodation on a royal estate for their first family visit to the UK in four years. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will arrive next month with their children, Archie and Lilibet, aged seven and five.
Visit Details
The family may stay in royal accommodation from July 6 for as long as two weeks. This will be the first time King Charles has seen his grandchildren in person since 2022. The BBC reported that the Sussexes had yet to respond to the invitation and that it was unclear which of the royal estates had been offered.
Security Concerns
Harry has previously turned down requests to stay at Buckingham Palace due to concerns over his security. Last year, he lost a legal battle against the Home Office over his right to police protection, arguing that his birth status made him a target.
Invictus Games
The prince is using the visit to mark a year before the Invictus Games, set to be hosted in Birmingham in July 2027. His visit will include a series of events to celebrate the milestone for the military personnel event.
Family Reconciliation
The Duke of Sussex visited his father at Clarence House last September, their first meeting since 2024. He spoke of a desire for a 'reconciliation' with the Royal family in an interview last year. This visit will be the first time the whole family has come to the UK since they attended Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
A source close to Harry told the Daily Mail that the Duke wanted to use the visit to show his children his 'homeland' and the 'wider family'. They said it had been a 'real point of great sadness' for Harry not to have been able to take his wife and children to the UK, but that safety had to come first.
Challenges Ahead
However, other royal sources suggested the visit would present challenges following Harry's words against the Firm both in interviews and in his memoir Spare. The Sussexes do not know the King's engagements for July, as he does not share his schedule with them. Another source said there were concerns the visit could distract from the King's work and reignite discussions surrounding 'personal family dynamics'.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the prospect of the King meeting his son and grandchildren.
