Just when relations between Prince Harry and the royal family appeared to be settling, a fresh dispute has erupted over his upcoming visit to the UK. Conflicting accounts emerged on Monday over whether the Duke of Sussex would be staying at Buckingham Palace, with Harry’s team claiming he had accepted an invitation, only for the Palace to swiftly deny that he would be welcomed.
Harry is due to travel to London and Birmingham this week for a series of charity engagements, including events promoting the Invictus Games. The visit has already been overshadowed by his ongoing dispute with the UK government over security arrangements. On Sunday, a spokesperson for the Duke confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex and the couple’s children would not accompany him to London, although they could join him later during the Birmingham leg of the trip.
Shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday, the BBC reported that Harry had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace while in London. Within minutes, however, the broadcaster updated its report, saying Buckingham Palace had disputed that claim.
A spokesperson for the Duke said the King’s offer of accommodation had been “withdrawn at the last moment,” citing the expected High Court judgment in Harry’s legal case against Associated Newspapers, due on Tuesday. The spokesperson described the decision as “disappointing.”
According to PA Media, Harry had initially declined the invitation on Saturday on behalf of himself, Meghan, and their children. Later that day, he reportedly changed his mind and asked to stay at the Palace on his own.
The report added that the necessary staffing and hospitality arrangements could no longer be put in place at such short notice. Buckingham Palace was also said to believe that the ongoing legal proceedings complicated the situation and could risk compromising the King’s constitutional neutrality.
The Palace maintained that while every effort had been made to accommodate the Duke, sufficient notice was required to ensure the appropriate arrangements could be made for a stay at a royal residence.
Harry is among several high-profile claimants awaiting a written ruling from Mr Justice Nicklin on Tuesday in their legal cases against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
Responding to the latest developments, a spokesperson for the Duke said they were aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting Harry had not accepted the accommodation offer.
The spokesperson added that, after the decision not to provide security for his family, Harry spent the past week arranging alternative security measures. Once those plans were finalized, they said, he formally accepted the accommodation offer for himself over the weekend.
“It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Ltd case cited as the reason,” the spokesperson said.
The statement also questioned the timing of the decision, noting that Buckingham Palace had been aware of the court judgment since the previous Thursday.
“It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment,” the spokesperson added.
