Harry and Meghan set for UK return with children after Palace decision | Royal | News
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly set to return to the UK with their children for the first time in four years after being told security arrangements for the upcoming visit have changed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to travel to England next month with seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet to take part in the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Reports this week suggested the family’s “safe return” was now possible. But sources said there had been no upgrade to the threat level assessment carried out by the Government’s Royal and VIP Executive Committee, despite an ongoing review of the risks facing the couple.
The Home Office still has not provided taxpayer-funded, 24-hour armed police protection for the visit.
A Government spokesman said: “It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information about these arrangements as doing so could compromise their integrity and impact the safety of individuals.”
King Charles is believed to have stepped in by offering support through his own resources, allowing Harry and Meghan to bring their children to the UK for their first visit since 2022.
Why was security such an important issue for Harry?
Harry has repeatedly expressed concerns about traveling to the UK with his family since stepping down from royal duties and moving to California, The Sun reported.
Last year he lost his case against the Home Office after security regulations were downgraded.
Following the decision, the Duke said he did not believe it was safe to bring Meghan, Archie and Lilibet to the UK.
The proposed trip marks a significant shift from that location and will see the family spend five days in Britain for the Invictus Games countdown celebrations.
What is the importance of the visit?
The Invictus Games remain Harry’s flagship philanthropic project and one of the causes most closely associated with his public life since he stepped down from royal duties.
The family visit also comes against the backdrop of ongoing efforts to improve relations between Harry and his father.
In September last year, the Duke and King held a long-awaited reunion at Clarence House during one of Harry’s charitable visits to the UK.
Although the meeting was brief, it was their first face-to-face meeting in 18 months and sparked renewed speculation that relations between the two could improve.
Harry has made several trips to the UK since 2020, but Meghan and the children have largely remained in California.
The prince was last in England for a two-day Court of Appeal hearing in London; Meghan, on the other hand, has not set foot in the country for nearly four years.
The upcoming visit is from Queen Elizabeth II. It will be his first major public return to England since attending Elizabeth’s funeral.
Since the Sussexes moved to the United States, King Charles has only seen his grandchildren in person once.
Archie spent most of his first year living in Britain before his family moved abroad, while Lilibet was born in California following the move.
His only trip to the UK was in 2022, when he celebrated his first birthday with family and friends at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
