Prince Harry to visit London without Meghan and their children
Prince Harry will travel to the UK next week without Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for the London leg of a planned five-day visit. The change follows confirmation that the family will not receive taxpayer-funded police security outside royal residences, reshaping a trip meant to reunite them with King Charles. Sources close to the Sussexes say security concerns drove the decision.
Key Takeaways
- Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet will not join Prince Harry in London after security was denied.
- Harry still plans charity work in London and Birmingham, including Invictus Games events.
- Meghan may still travel for the Birmingham portion; no final decision has been made.
- A meeting between King Charles and his grandchildren, unseen in four years, is now uncertain.
- Sources close to the Sussexes cite security-team concerns after days reviewing arrangements.
Why is Prince Harry traveling to London alone?
It is understood that Prince Harry will not be joined by his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, or their two children when he visits the UK next week. Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet will not travel to London as originally planned after it was confirmed the family would not be provided with taxpayer-funded police security.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had planned to visit Britain with their children from Monday. Sources close to the couple told the BBC the decision to pull out of the London element was driven by concerns from Prince Harry's personal security team, which had spent several days reviewing arrangements.
According to BBC News, Harry had previously said he would not bring his family to the country without improved security. In a 2025 BBC interview, he said he could not "see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point."
Will Meghan and the children join him later in the week?
It remains possible they may join Prince Harry later in the week when the five-day trip moves to Birmingham to promote the Invictus Games. PEOPLE reported on July 4 that no decision has been made on whether Meghan and the children will accompany him outside the capital.
Discussions around security for the later part of the visit are ongoing, and no final decision has been made. If Meghan does come to the UK later in the week, she is scheduled to join her husband at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre to mark the year-long countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.
The visit shifts from London to Birmingham on Thursday, when Prince Harry will visit the city's children's hospital to support WellChild. The change also means Meghan will not join him at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for Invictus Games meetings on Wednesday; he will attend alone.
What does the security dispute mean for the royal family?
The challenge centres on rulings by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which decides security for senior royals and other public figures. Yahoo Entertainment cited a Vanity Fair report that Harry was "devastated" and "close to tears" over arrangements limiting taxpayer-funded cover to royal residences.
It is unclear whether King Charles will meet his grandchildren, aged seven and five, who he has not seen in person for four years. London had been seen as the most likely setting for any reunion after the Sussexes accepted an offer to stay in a royal residence.
Buckingham Palace is making no comment on private family matters. For more breaking coverage, see our Fintech & Crypto Alerts feed.