Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to return to the United Kingdom next month with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, for what is shaping up to be one of the Sussex family’s most closely watched visits since stepping back from royal duties.
The trip is centered around the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, which will take place in Birmingham from July 7 through July 10 next year.
Beyond the official engagements, Prince Harry is also reportedly hoping to reunite with King Charles and introduce his children to more members of the royal family while making a private visit to Princess Diana’s gravesite at Althorp House.
Despite the significance of the visit, security remains one of the biggest concerns surrounding the family’s return, as reported by Page Six.
Harry, who reportedly spends around $3 million annually on private security in the United States, is still fighting the British Home Office over his request for 24-hour armed police protection whenever he is in the U.K. Until that matter is resolved, he and his family are expected to rely on their own private security team.
© @meghanOne source familiar with the arrangements said the Sussexes will not travel by private jet but confirmed that personal protection remains a priority.
“Harry always travels with one of two of his own security team,” the source told the publication.
King Charles has reportedly offered the family accommodation at a royal residence, complete with private security, although Harry and Meghan have previously chosen to stay in hotels because of ongoing concerns about their safety.
© Kevin MazurHarry’s security status in Britain continues to be determined by RAVEC, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which decides the level of protection provided to senior royals and other high-profile individuals.
However, private bodyguards in the U.K. cannot carry firearms, and unlike royal protection officers, they do not have access to government intelligence or police resources.
Those limitations became apparent earlier this year when Harry attended London’s High Court for his legal case involving the publisher of the Daily Mail. According to reports, a known stalker sat only a few feet away from the prince during two separate court appearances.
© NetflixAlthough Harry’s security team recognized the individual, they had no authority to intervene.
“There is nothing they could do; they are not the police. It’s a public building, and she has a right to be there,” an insider said.
Harry has repeatedly argued that his father could help resolve the dispute surrounding his security arrangements.
© Samir Hussein/WireImage“There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands,” he told the BBC last year.
“Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts to do what is necessary,” he added.
The Duke of Sussex has also spoken candidly about how the issue has affected his family’s ability to return to Britain.
© POOL/AFP via Getty Images“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point … And I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show, you know, my children my homeland.”
Last year, Harry was granted a risk management board to review his security status, and RAVEC is now expected to advise an independent chair on whether he should once again receive armed protection while in the country.
In a statement, the Home Office said, “The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”
© PoolThe upcoming trip is also expected to generate significant public attention for another reason.
Reports suggest Harry and Meghan plan to bring a Netflix documentary crew to capture parts of the visit for an upcoming project, a move that has reportedly raised concerns behind palace walls about maintaining appropriate boundaries.
The Sussexes are also said to be hoping for a reunion between King Charles and his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, whom the monarch has seen only rarely.
© snapshot/Future Image/R Schmiegelt/Shutterstock“They know it will make the biggest spectacle,” a source said of Harry and Meghan. “They will want photos of them being ‘royal.'”
Whether Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes will ultimately release an official photograph of King Charles with his grandchildren remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the visit.
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