Prince Harry has arrived in the United Kingdom without his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, just a day after celebrating his son's birthday in the United States. The Duke of Sussex's solo visit to London is centered around attending a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014 while still a working member of the Royal Family.
Despite the wealth of lavish properties available to the Royal Family in London, it is expected that Prince Harry will opt to stay in a hotel suite during his brief stay in the UK. This decision comes in the wake of his eviction from Frogmore Cottage last year and the strained relations between the Duke and the rest of the Royal Family. Sources suggest that Harry might choose to stay at The Goring Hotel, where rooms can cost up to £8,000 per night, as he did during his previous visit to London for the Well Child Awards in September.
Prince Harry's visit to the UK marks the first time he has returned to the country since February, when he flew in following King Charles' cancer diagnosis. During that 25-hour trip, the Duke reportedly had a brief 30-minute meeting with his father, believed to be their first proper private conversation in 15 months. However, it is unlikely that the father and son will meet during this current visit, as Prince Harry is understood to have various Invictus Games commitments throughout his stay.
The Duke's relationship with his brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law, Princess Kate, remains "extremely fractured," according to an alleged friend of the couple who spoke to the Daily Beast. "Both sides understand each other's position clearly. William and Catherine felt completely betrayed by Harry's memoir. They don't speak to Harry and Meghan, and they are certainly not about to start when Catherine is at her most vulnerable," the source revealed, referring to the Princess of Wales' ongoing cancer treatment.
An insider also told The Mirror's Royal Editor Russel Myers, "Their relationship remains extremely fractured. Harry has privately expressed a wish to sit down with his brother but now is not the time."
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle has chosen to remain in the United States with the couple's two young children. The Duchess of Sussex has not visited the UK since September 2022, despite Harry making multiple trips to London over the last 18 months. Sources close to Meghan confirmed that she would not be joining her husband for the Invictus Games celebration, which no senior member of the Royal Family is expected to attend.
Meghan's decision to skip the King's Coronation in May 2023 was reportedly due to her fear of receiving boos from the public during the historic event, given her unpopularity in the UK. A recent poll conducted by Ipsos for the Mail revealed that while all other members of the Royal Family have seen their popularity increase in the last 12 months, the Duchess of Sussex's approval rating remained unchanged at 25 percent. Prince Harry's popularity, on the other hand, increased by four percent, moving him up to an overall approval rating of 31 percent.
