Prince Harry will not stay at Buckingham Palace during London visit

LONDON – Prince Harry has been told he cannot stay at Buckingham Palace this week after he failed to accept an invitation in time, a royal source said on July 6, underlining the still fraught relationship between King Charles and his second son.

Harry had been planning to bring his two children for their first visit to Britain in four years, but on July 4 his spokesperson said Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, would not be coming to London. The family failed to agree a security deal with the government.

With the family trip off and the failure to agree on where Harry – who has been living in California since 2020 with his American wife Meghan – will stay, it appears Harry’s stated desire to reconcile with the royal family has made little progress.

A royal source said that despite repeated requests for clarity, Harry did not respond to an invitation to stay at a royal residence in time for a deadline set to give staff time to prepare.

The Prince then formally declined the invite, before later changing his mind, the source added.

Harry’s spokesperson said the prince had been unable to immediately accept the accommodation offer because he was making alternative security arrangements following a decision by the government not to provide protection. The 41-year-old has been estranged from most of his family since quitting as a working royal six years ago and has repeatedly criticised them in interviews and in his memoir Spare, published in 2023.

He is due in London on July 7 and Birmingham later this week for a series of charity engagements. He will also be in the country to find out whether he has won a UK court case against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations of unlawful behaviour.

The royal source said Charles has a constitutional role in the legal system that would make it difficult for him to be linked too closely to individual lawsuits.

Harry’s spokesperson said this was behind Buckingham Palace’s withdrawal of the offer to stay at “the last moment”.

“It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason,” the spokesperson said.

Harry’s spokesman had originally said the family would be staying in a mix of private and royal accommodation. Royal residences offer Harry additional security, one of his biggest concerns, and a royal source said the family would continue to be invited to stay at royal residences on future trips.

Harry has said the lack of police protection offered by Britain has in recent years meant he was unable to bring his children to the country, and the Telegraph newspaper reported on July 4 that a request for police protection had been denied.

But his children could still come for the second half of the trip, as the spokesperson had only ruled out them travelling to London.

Charles, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, has barely seen his two grandchildren since they were born but Harry said in May 2025 he wanted the fighting to end, sparking speculation over a meeting during this trip.

Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment. REUTERS