Prince Harry will travel to London without Meghan and children
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, will travel to London next week without Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their children after UK authorities declined taxpayer-funded police protection for the family visit, sources told CBS News and the BBC. The prince will attend London engagements alone while security arrangements for the rest of his five-day UK trip remain under review.
The change marks a setback for what had been expected as the Sussex family's first joint return to Britain in four years. A source close to the duke confirmed to AFP that Meghan, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, will not accompany him on the London leg, though the family is still hoping to travel to the UK "in some form," according to reports cited by CBS News.
Key Takeaways
- Meghan and the Sussex children will skip the London portion of Prince Harry's UK trip next week.
- The decision follows rejection of a request for taxpayer-funded police protection during the visit.
- Harry will attend Royal Hospital Chelsea Invictus Games meetings alone on Wednesday.
- Family participation in engagements outside London, including Birmingham, remains possible but undecided.
- The visit coincides with ongoing litigation over Harry's UK security and a pending privacy court ruling.
Why is Prince Harry traveling without Meghan?
Plans shifted after Harry's team learned that no government-funded security would be provided for Meghan and the children, the BBC reported. Sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said Prince Harry's personal security team spent several days reviewing arrangements and raised concerns.
They also cited the lack of an up-to-date assessment from the Royal and VIP Executive Committee's (Ravec) Risk Management Board, which decides protective security for senior royals and other high-profile figures in the UK.
Meghan had been expected to join her husband at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for meetings tied to the Invictus Games. Prince Harry will now make that appearance without her. The couple had also planned a joint visit to a London hospital supporting charity WellChild, according to the BBC.
What security dispute is behind the London change?
The disagreement centers on police protection Harry lost after stepping back from royal duties in 2020 and moving to California. Last year he lost a legal challenge seeking restoration of automatic UK police protection during visits.
In a 2025 BBC interview, Harry said it was "impossible" to bring his family back safely under existing arrangements. A Home Office spokesperson told the BBC that detailed security information is not disclosed because doing so could compromise arrangements.
Buckingham Palace has not offered extra security for the July trip, the BBC reported. Harry and Meghan had accepted an invitation to stay as guests of King Charles III at royal residences, though protection while off those estates would rely on their private California-based detail.
Could Meghan still join Harry elsewhere in the UK?
Arrangements for the remainder of Harry's five-day visit are still under consideration, sources said. It has not been ruled out that Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet could join him for events outside the capital, including Birmingham, where he will mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.
People.com reported the family had hoped to give the children their first UK visit since 2022 and a chance to reconnect with King Charles. His spokesperson said the duke "continues to explore every available option" to enable the visit safely.
The trip also overlaps with a closely watched court ruling in Harry's privacy claim against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail. For more rapid updates on high-profile developments, follow our Fintech & Crypto Alerts coverage.