Prince Harry in embarrassing mix-up over palace lodgings

London: Prince Harry has been caught up in embarrassing upheaval over his visit to the UK this week after news emerged that he had accepted an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace but had updated his plans because he accepted the stay too late.

The conflicting statements have raised interest in the rift between the Duke of Sussex and the rest of the royal family ahead of a visit with no planned public meetings with his father, King Charles, or his brother, Prince William.

The conflicting statements have increased interest in the rift between the Duke of Sussex and the rest of the royal family.Michael Howard

The visit has been the subject of intense scrutiny in the UK after speculation it would bring Harry and his wife Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet together with the King for a rare meeting.

But plans changed last week when the Sussex Household said Meghan and the children would not join Harry on the visit, but would instead stay at their home in Montecito, California.

Those close to Harry blamed palace officials for the outcome because, despite a series of threats against the prince over the years, the visiting family were not given the full security details given to the royal family.

While the media had been reporting for days on whether the King had decided to make Buckingham Palace available for his son this week, there was no confirmation of Harry’s stay until reports emerged on Monday morning (around 6pm AEST) that he had accepted an offer to stay at the palace.

Within half an hour, officials confirmed that Harry would not be staying at the palace because he had accepted the offer too late for rooms and staff to become available.

King Charles met Harry during an unannounced sparring in London last September, but father and son have rarely been seen together in recent years.

The rift between Harry and other members of the family has been a source of tension for several years after his younger son aired his complaints about royal life on television shows and in a memoir. not being able to resist.

Harry told the BBC in May last year that his demand for more government-funded security for himself and his family was a “sticking point” for the family. He lost his security when he moved to the United States and went to court to get it back but lost the case.

He added that at the time the King “wasn’t going to talk to me because of this security issue” but he wanted to get around this because his father was undergoing cancer treatment. The meeting last September appeared to bridge some of the gap between them.

But disagreement over security has become a major obstacle in planning this week’s trip.

Harry told the BBC in an interview from the US in May last year: “I don’t see a world where I would bring my wife and children back to England at this point.”

One of the biggest events this week for Harry is a meeting to highlight the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July next year.

King Charles met Harry during an unannounced sparring in London last September, but father and son have rarely been seen together in recent years.access point

Harry launched the Invictus Games in 2014 as a sports competition to help injured military personnel and has since grown into a major event with thousands of participants and major donors. Held in Sydney in 2018.

Her plans this week are also said to include visiting the Spencer family estate in Northamptonshire, where her late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, is buried.

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