Palace says Harry will not stay at Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry will not stay at the royal residence during his visit to London this week, contradicting his team’s statement that he had accepted an invitation to do so and exposing a fresh dispute between the two sides.

The Duke of Sussex was expected to arrive in the United Kingdom on Monday for a five-day visit tied to the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham, the international sporting event for wounded and injured military personnel that he launched in 2014. He is traveling without his wife, Meghan, and their children, Archie and Lilibet, after security arrangements for the family reportedly fell through.

Harry’s spokesperson said Monday that he had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace. But the palace later said he would not be staying there because his team had failed to formally respond by the deadline at the end of last week.

Royal sources told the BBC that Harry was informed on Saturday evening that he could not stay at Buckingham Palace. CBS News reported that palace sources said a minimum notice period is required to host guests such as the prince, including arranging Royal Household staff, and that the deadline was not met.

According to the palace’s account, multiple requests for clarification went unanswered, the accommodation offer was formally declined on Saturday and later accepted the same day, by which point officials said it was too late to make arrangements.

Harry’s team gave a different version of events. A spokesperson for the duke said Buckingham Palace had withdrawn the offer after it had been formally accepted, calling the decision “disappointing.”

“It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment,” the spokesperson said.

The BBC reported that palace officials also had concerns about Harry staying at Buckingham Palace while a court ruling was being issued Tuesday in his case against Associated Newspapers, the owner of the Daily Mail, over alleged unlawful information gathering. According to the BBC, there were worries that the timing could compromise the King’s constitutional position. Harry’s side rejected that argument, saying the timing of the court result was already known last week.

The disagreement adds uncertainty to a visit that had already been reshaped by security concerns. The trip had initially been expected to include Meghan and the couple’s children, making it their first family visit to Britain in four years. It is now understood they will not join Harry for the London portion of the trip, though the BBC reported it remains possible they may join him later in Birmingham.

Harry is still expected to carry out engagements this week. His first London event is expected Tuesday, followed by appearances in Birmingham connected to next year’s Invictus Games. The BBC reported he is expected to visit Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the National Exhibition Centre, which will host the Games.

The dispute may complicate a meeting between King Charles and Harry that had been expected this week. It is also unclear whether the King will see Archie and Lilibet, ages seven and five, under the revised schedule. The BBC reported that King Charles has not seen the children in person for four years.

Harry has made only brief visits to the U.K. for charity events and legal proceedings since he and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to North America. His long-running dispute over security stems from a decision that his protection in the U.K. would be assessed case by case because he would be an infrequent visitor.