Prince Harry is expected to return to the UK next week for a packed schedule of charity engagements, but one notable absence is set to overshadow the visit.
According to Sky News, the Duke of Sussex will undertake a series of engagements in the capital, including meetings linked to the Invictus Games and visits to charities he has long supported.
However, the Duchess of Sussex, along with Archie and Lilibet, will remain in California.
Harry had reportedly hoped to bring his family to Birmingham for an event marking one year until the 2027 Invictus Games, but ongoing concerns surrounding security appear to have changed those plans.
While it remains unclear whether Meghan and the children could join the Duke elsewhere in the UK, sources suggest that London is off the itinerary for the family due to unresolved security arrangements.
It has been four years since Archie and Lilibet last saw their grandfather, King Charles, in person, and the monarch is understood to have offered accommodation at a royal residence should the family decide to travel.
Harry has remained locked in a long-running dispute over his level of protection in Britain after losing taxpayer-funded police security when he stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
Although he unsuccessfully challenged the decision in court, he is still awaiting a fresh review of his case after personally appealing for it to be reconsidered.
The Duke has previously spoken about the issue.
“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” Harry said following his legal defeat over security arrangements last year.
Harry could spend time with his father during the trip, Palace has repeatedly stressed that the King has no role in decisions surrounding the Duke’s security, which are handled independently by the government.
