LONDON — Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Harry can no longer stay at a royal residence during his current visit to the United Kingdom, citing issues with accommodation and staffing. Prince Harry is in London and Birmingham for various charity engagements, including promoting the Invictus Games.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and the couple’s children are not accompanying Prince Harry to London. A spokesperson for Prince Harry stated that the offer of accommodation from King Charles was withdrawn at the last moment. The spokesperson also indicated that the judgment in the duke’s case against Associated Newspapers was cited as the reason for the withdrawal of the accommodation offer.

Buckingham Palace said that the appropriate hospitality and staffing provision was no longer available. The palace stated that a minimum level of notice was required to host Prince Harry appropriately at a royal residence. Prince Harry's spokesperson indicated that the duke spent the previous week arranging alternative security measures.

After these alternative security arrangements were in place, the duke formally accepted the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend, according to his spokesperson. The spokesperson added that it was unclear why the accommodation offer was withdrawn at the last moment, given that Buckingham Palace had been aware of the Associated Newspapers Ltd judgment since the previous Thursday.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry said the announcement regarding the accommodation withdrawal was disappointing. Prince Harry and other claimants are expected to receive a written ruling on Tuesday from Mr Justice Nicklin regarding their high court cases against Associated Newspapers. Last year, Prince Harry lost a legal challenge against a government decision to remove his automatic police protection.

Why It Matters

This development affects Prince Harry's current visit to the UK for charity engagements and highlights ongoing discussions regarding royal accommodations and security arrangements. The U.K. government committee Ravec previously declined to authorize taxpayer-funded security for Prince Harry and his family. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was last officially in the U.K. for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022.