The Duke of Sussex will make his highly-anticipated return to the UK next week, but his wife and children will not join him in London, HELLO! understands.
Prince Harry, 41, will carry out a five-day visit from 7 to 11 July, but it’s understood that the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, will not travel to the capital.
It comes after it was reported that the Duke is trying to find a way to safely bring Meghan and the children to the UK next week, despite concerns over how they will be protected and confusion over where they will stay.
HELLO! understands that no decision has been made as to the rest of the week yet and whether Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will join Harry for other parts of the trip outside of London.
The father-of-two is set to mark the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham. However, plans for his family to join him have been left up in the air after he was waiting for a review by the Risk Management Board (RMB), part of the process by which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) rules on his security requirements.
Harry found out on Friday that this has yet to take place, but his security detail are working behind the scenes to try to ensure the visit can take place safely, it’s understood. The Duke previously said he would be “exploring every possible option”.
While Archie and Lilibet are not expected to attend any public events, there is a possibility that Meghan may join her husband at an Invictus event at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
There are hopes the King will be able to reunite with his youngest grandchildren for the first time in four years. Archie and Lilibet last saw their grandfather in person during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
Harry’s legal battle
Harry has faced a longstanding legal battle with the Home Office over the security arrangements for him and his family when in the UK after his level of protection changed when he stepped down as a senior working royal in 2020.
It was reported by The Sun newspaper last December that the Home Office has now ordered a threat assessment for the first time since the Duke stepped back. It comes after Harry wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and submitted a formal request for a risk assessment to Ravec, a source close to the Duke said last October.
© InstagramDuring court proceedings in December 2023, Harry said in an emotional statement: “The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the US. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.”
What will Harry be doing in the UK?
The Duke will begin his trip with an Invictus Games Foundation event at Chatham House, which will bring together experts, policymakers and members of the Invictus Community. He is then expected to meet Chelsea pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea – an engagement where Meghan was previously thought to be joining her husband.
© GettyAt the Invictus Games countdown celebrations at the NEC in Birmingham, Harry will watch and take part in a series of events alongside competitors from previous tournaments. As patron of WellChild, he is also due to visit the Birmingham Children’s Hospital to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first WellChild Nurse.
During his private time, Harry will potentially bring his children to visit their late grandmother, Princess Diana, and her final resting place on the Althorp Estate in Northampton, according to The Sun, although this has not been confirmed.
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