Prince Harry and King Charles find themselves entangled in yet another row that threatens to further strain their already fractured relationship. Recent reports suggest that the Duke of Sussex turned down an invitation from his father to stay at a royal residence during his visit to the UK earlier this month, citing security concerns as the primary reason for his decision.
According to The Telegraph, Prince Harry declined the King's offer because it did not come with any taxpayer-funded personal security provision. Staying at a royal residence would have meant that the Duke would be in a "visible location with public entrance and exit points and no police protection." Instead, Harry opted to stay at a hotel, which allowed him to "come and go unseen."
The publication further maintained that Prince Harry "remains devastated" about the withdrawal of his automatic right to police protection, a matter he is still battling the Home Office over through the British courts. Under the current arrangements, the Duke must give the Metropolitan Police 28 days' notice before coming to the UK if he wants to apply for security provision, with each request assessed on an individual basis by Ravec, the committee overseeing the protection of royalty and public figures.
While the specific royal residence offered to Prince Harry has not been revealed, St James' Palace is considered a strong possibility. The palace, situated adjacent to Clarence House where the King stays when in London, would have provided father and son with a relatively private meeting place, guarded round-the-clock by a "ring of steel." All royal residences feature armed guards at entry and exit points and boast the most sophisticated security systems in the country to protect working members of the family.
The latest development in the ongoing feud between Prince Harry and the Royal Family comes on the heels of a statement issued by the Duke's spokesperson during his recent visit to London for a service marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. The statement strongly suggested that while Harry was keen to meet his father, the King was effectively "too busy" to see him.
However, it has since become clear that despite His Majesty's packed schedule of engagements that week, the King had made conciliatory overtures that would have enabled him to see his son. During his three-night stay in the capital, Prince Harry did not meet with any family members before joining his wife, Meghan, at Heathrow airport and flying to Nigeria for a quasi-royal tour.
The security dispute between Prince Harry and the Home Office dates back to 2020 when the Duke applied for a judicial review over the decision to strip himself and his family of publicly-funded police protection after they chose to quit royal duties and leave the UK. In February, he conclusively lost his legal challenge and was left with an estimated £1 million bill. However, the prince has vowed to fight on, stating that he does not feel safe bringing his wife and children to the UK under the current arrangements.
According to The Telegraph, Prince Harry has only been permitted police protection when taking part in royal events, such as the late Queen's funeral, or when he was transported to meet the King from Heathrow in February after his cancer diagnosis. The newspaper claims that when traveling to and from his hotel in February, the prince only had his own, private bodyguards.
