Prince Harry travels to London without his family – meeting with King Charles uncertain

Dispute over police protection

The background to this decision is a dispute over security that has been simmering for years. After stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the British Home Office withdrew the automatic, comprehensive police protection Harry had enjoyed as a member of the royal family. Since then, he has received only bespoke security arrangements on a case-by-case basis during visits to the UK. In 2025, the Court of Appeal rejected his challenge against a Home Office decision.

Harry has repeatedly stressed that he does not want to bring his family to the UK due to security concerns. Last year he said: "It is impossible for me to safely return to the UK with my family." According to the BBC, Buckingham Palace did not offer any additional security arrangements for the current trip. Harry has also already failed in court with a lawsuit seeking full police protection during UK visits.

Harry most recently met his father King Charles III. in September 2025 in London over a cup of tea at Clarence House. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two in a long time. Whether father and son will meet again during this visit is uncertain, according to the BBC. Buckingham Palace has not officially commented on possible encounters.

Strained relationship with the royal family

The relationship between Prince Harry and the rest of the royal family remains considered fractured. King Charles III., who is 77 and is currently being treated for a cancer diagnosis, last saw his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet in 2022 during the celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. Harry also expressed a desire for reconciliation last year.

The trip has gained additional significance due to reports in the tabloid "The Sun", according to which Harry and his family are currently said to be in Europe. The AFP sources also said that Harry and his family had originally planned to stay in royal residences during the visit – but this too is apparently off the table.

A joint appearance by Harry and Meghan at a London hospital had originally been planned – the first since their break with the royal family and their move to California. That will no longer happen. The family lives in Meghan's home state of California.

Invitation from Buckingham Palace

According to BBC reports, King Charles III. and his wife Queen Camilla had invited Harry and his family. The invitation itself is seen in British media as a conciliatory signal, even though it remains unclear whether a meeting will actually take place. Harry himself has repeatedly expressed himself in reconciliatory terms towards his father in the past.

The Invictus Games are an international sports competition for wounded veterans and soldiers that Harry founded in 2014. The upcoming edition in Birmingham is considered a personal passion project for the prince and provides the framework for his British visit next week.

Regardless of the outcome of any potential family meetings, the visit remains a balancing act between public engagements and private caution. The trip without his family shows that Harry continues to view the security question as unresolved – despite all reconciliatory gestures.

Note: The quoted statements come from previous remarks by Harry as well as from reports by the BBC and the AFP news agency.