BRITISH ROYALS IN TURMOIL: Harry’s security row raises doubts over the King’s reunion with his grandchildren
The Duke of Sussex’s overseas trip brings up a slew of fresh questions – including whether it signals a thawing of the frosty royal relations.
Meghan, 44, and their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, were originally set to join Harry for his entire trip in the UK – but a request for additional security was denied just days before.
He was due to take the children to see their late grandmother Diana’s grave for the first time during a poignant trip to Althorp House in Northamptonshire.
The Duchess was due to carry out her first engagement in the capital since March 2020 at a London hospital with her husband.
But the California-based couple have decided Meghan and the children – if they come at all – will not be in the capital due to the security row.
Harry, 41, previously declared it was “impossible” to bring his family to the UK and that it is “sad” that he won’t be able to show his children his homeland.
This came after he lost his lengthy High Court battle last year for taxpayer-funded armed bodyguards in the wake of Megxit.
Does Harry’s visit to the UK mean all is forgiven?
If the family come for a visit and see Charles, this could signal warmer relations among the royals.
In May 2025, Harry told the BBC he “would love a reconciliation” with the Royal Family.
That September he met Charles for less than 45 minutes at Clarence House, London, bringing along a framed photo of his children for his father.
Harry also jetted in alone to see Charles after he was diagnosed with cancer two years ago – but these are understood to be fleeting visits.
Harry is also said to be increasingly keen to spend more time with his father, King Charles, who is continuing cancer treatment.
In 2022, a Royal source said Charles, 77, had a “very emotional” first meeting with Lilibet during the Platinum Jubilee.
The King was said to be “absolutely thrilled” by the Sussexes’ visit with their daughter and son Archie.
The insider added it was also “very, very special” for Charles to spend time with his grandson, Archie.
But the decision not to take Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, into London, makes it less likely they can meet the King for the first time in four years.
Speaking on Harry’s relationship with Charles, royal expert Hugo Vickers said: “Prince Harry did see his father last September for a private meeting, and if he comes to England this time, I’m sure the King has always left the door wide open for him.
“I would very much hope that they would somehow meet because I think it’s very important on a personal level that he should reconcile with his father.
“I really would hope would happen and that relations will start thawing.
“You know, to be honest, if two people want to meet, a father and son, they can find a way of meeting.
“And if they happen to be staying in a royal residence, it may be one in which the King himself is present, in which case that makes it very easy and a clear olive branch.”
Relations between the Duke and the wider Royal Family have been strained since he and Meghan, 44, quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to California.
After the ruling at the Court of Appeal, Harry said: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”
He also claimed he could “only come to the UK safely” if invited by the King because he would then fall under royal protection.
The couple later aired a series of grievances in their interview with Oprah Winfrey, their Netflix documentary and Harry’s memoir Spare.
Will Harry and Meghan meet Kate and Wills?
On Harry’s previous trips to the UK, when he saw his dad, it’s understood he didn’t meet with his brother.
So it is looking unlikely that he will see William and Kate next week.
Experts have previously speculated that Prince William will never forgive his younger brother.
They have not been in direct communication since the release of Harry’s controversial memoir Spare in January 2023.
Their last reported interaction was during the funeral of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, but conversations were said to be brief.
And the feuding brothers reportedly did not speak to each other despite standing “virtually back to back” among mourners at the memorial service for their uncle, Lord Fellowes.
The brothers have been at loggerheads since Harry and wife Meghan quit royal duty in 2020 for a new life in the US, where they launched a succession of barbs at the Royal Family.
Growing up, Wills and Harry shared many of the same friends who were part of their close, tight-knit circle.
But their relationship took a sour turn after Harry lobbed vile allegations against the Prince of Wales in his memoir Spare.
In the book, he claimed William had physically attacked him and knocked him to the floor in 2019 and made insulting comments about Meghan.
The Sussexes had also targeted Kate, when Meghan claimed the royal made her cry.
There has been no sign of Will and Kate forgiving the couple in the wake of these barbs and Mr Vickers said it was likely that the impasse would continue.
Royal biographer Vickers added: “The question of fixing the relationship with his brother William is much more difficult because I think the hurt goes much deeper.
“I mean Prince William has every reason to be extremely upset by what his brother and his brother’s wife have done and said about them in the past – and that’s a much more complicated issue, so I wouldn’t bank on a meeting between them.
“I think it’s also very sad because the two brothers were extremely close but now there is obviously a huge gulf between them.
“It seems extremely unlikely at the moment for quite public reasons because there’s been a lot of hurt.”
The royal expert continued: “And I think also as a character, understandably, in in many ways, Prince William is much more unforgiving than his father.
“So I think there’s a much longer road to travel in that respect and less chance of an olive branch.
“But my my advice would be take it step by step and if you can get the little bit of reconciliation with the father, that would be great. And then there’s time to think about William and Harry later on. “
Does Harry and Meghan’s visit mean his Home Office security row is resolved?
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) turned down Harry’s latest request for protection just a week before he is due to arrive for a string of engagements – potentially reigniting the security row.
The Duke will still come but he and his wife are “still looking at options” to make the visit work “in some form” for the rest of the family.
Harry and Meghan were stripped of their round-the-clock protection when they stepped back from royal duties in 2020 – and have rarely been seen in the UK since.
He was allowed security when he stayed at royal residences or attended royal events but had to fend for himself if he wanted to see friends in a bespoke arrangement.
Harry wanted to fund his own Met Police armed bodyguards but officials refused – with insiders insisting cops are not “guns for hire”.
Weighing in on the situation, Mr Vickers said that Harry “would be protected” if there was any real danger.
But he added: “I don’t see why he should be afforded any particularly special protection since he’s no longer a working member of the royal family.
“I think that would be really bad, expect the taxpayer to pay for for his security, especially when he’s out in California engaged in commercial enterprises which presumably, or we assume, make quite a lot of money.
“And then he has to pay for his own security, which I’m sure is very expensive.
“That doesn’t mean to say that he should be put into any form of danger.
“And I think you’ll find that the security services monitor the situation very carefully, keeping an eye on all sorts of people including him – and I don’t think he would be in any danger whatsoever.”
Why has Harry now decided to bring Meghan and kids over after so many years of berating UK?
Last year, he lost a three-year, multimillion-pound fight after his round-the-clock royal protection was axed in the wake of Megxit.
The Duke of Sussex had declared “my life is at stake”, bizarrely claiming to be the victim of an establishment stitch-up and said he “can’t see a world” in which he would bring his wife and kids here.
Harry claimed stripping him of his security was a plot to force him and his wife Meghan back to Britain.
And while his family are set to join him, we revealed they will not be heading to the capital over security fears.
A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex has said that Harry is continuing to look at “every available option” to “enable the visit to proceed safely”.
In a statement, the spokesman said: “Prince Harry’s programme in the United Kingdom includes both public and private engagements across the country.
“Safe accommodation is only one element of an effective protective security plan because risk follows the person, not the place.
“The issue has never been accommodation. The issue is whether appropriate and proportionate protective security is being provided throughout the entirety of the visit.
“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.
“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.”
Touching on the issue, Mr Vickers said: “I’m sure there’s an element in bringing his wife and kids over here is to reinforce the connection, and that may well be for commercial reasons, who knows.
“Equally, I’m absolutely convinced that should the security services themselves consider that he’s in danger, he would be subtly protected.
“They just can’t have exactly what he wants the whole time, and the way he wants it. Harry is quite stubborn. We’ve seen that before.
“It’s only when he goes off on his own, you can’t really expect us to have to undertake expensive security for somebody who’s just perhaps going on a commercial enterprise somewhere or pursuing his own particular interests. It’s not on.”
Does this visit mean a change for Harry and Meghan – will they return regularly?
Harry, 41, wanted to bring Meghan and his two children for the week-long trip where they also planned to meet the King and visit the final resting place of Princess Diana.
We previously reported that Meghan would travel with Harry this summer for an Invictus Games 12 month countdown in Birmingham – but only if he won 24-hour armed guards.
He is due in Birmingham and London from July 6 to 10 for events ahead of his Invictus Games next year.
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, have not been in Britain since 2022 – which is the last time they met King Charles.
Speaking about Harry’s return, Mr Vickers said: “Prince Harry would be extremely unwise not to be aware of the fact that his father may not be around forever and that he ought to move quickly, as soon as possible to form this reconciliation.
“I’m sure the King would like to see his grandchildren and I’m sure his grandchildren would very much like to see him.”
But the royal expert stressed that any future visits would depend on whether next week’s visit was a “success or not”.
The Duke has repeatedly said concerns about his family’s safety have stopped him bringing Meghan, Archie and Lilibet back to Britain.
If they do come with their dad, Harry wants to take his children to meet the King, it is understood.
A source said: “Harry is reassessing things. Ultimately, he is going to do everything he can to find a way to bring them over safely.”
It’s not known if Charles would meet his estranged son and his family in private or in a formal public event.
Are they opening the door to moving back to Britain?
It is understood Harry is keen for his kids to spend more time with Charles and visit his homeland.
There is said to be “an agreement” that Charles sees Archie and Lilibet if they do come, with the King understood to be “overjoyed” at the prospect.
Harry has travelled back to the UK several times since stepping down as a working royal, but Meghan and the children have rarely joined him.
If the security dispute is resolved and the trip goes well, this would likely see the Sussexes visit the UK more often.
It is not known if Harry ever plans on moving back to the UK.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to Montecito in California in summer 2020, just months after stepping down as working royals.
He previously said he has “no regrets” about his new life in California with Meghan and his kids.
According to a source, Harry believes relocating to the United States “is the best decision he’s ever made”.
And Mr Vickers believes it is “unlikely” Harry will live in the UK again.
On Harry’s potential return to his homeland, the royal expert said: “One of the things which we’ve seen is that the Sussexes have to continually reinvent themselves.
“They have to keep themselves in front of the public eye because otherwise they cease to exist to some extent.
“And of course, let’s face it, coming to England and proximity with the royal family reminds us of his of his ancestry, of his connections with the royals, which become more and more distant the less he sees of them.
“That is, of course, the the calling card at the end of the day.
“Because nobody, I can assure you, would be in the least bit interested in what either of them are doing if he wasn’t called Prince Harry – simple as that.
“They decided to stay out there and make their own way and make their own money.
“Ultimately Harry and Meghan are not working for the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth anymore and they’ve got to get on with it to some extent.”
