Prince Harry arrives in UK with Buckingham Palace stay in disarray
Duke of Sussex’s spokesman hits out at ‘last-moment’ withdrawal of palace accommodation after missing response deadline
Prince Harry arrived in Britain on Monday for a five-day visit expected to go ahead mostly without his wife and children after they were reportedly refused police protection.
Harry’s visit has been hit by several snags as plans for his family to accompany him fell through, his accommodation at Buckingham Palace was in disarray and a judgment in his latest legal battle against British tabloids loomed.
The visit, to mark the one-year countdown to next year’s Invictus Games for wounded veterans, which Harry founded, was meant to be his first family trip back to the UK in four years.
But a source close to the Duke of Sussex told Agence France-Presse at the weekend that Harry’s wife Meghan, son Archie and daughter Lilibet would not accompany him on the London leg of the trip after the family was refused security.
Arrangements for the rest of the trip were still under consideration, the source said, leaving it unclear whether the whole family would visit but stay outside the capital.
Contradictory statements about plans to stay at Buckingham Palace while in London also added to the prince’s headaches.