Harry still hoping to bring Meghan and children on UK visit

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Harry still hoping to bring Meghan and children on UK visit

By

Royal correspondent
  • Published

The Duke of Sussex is still planning to bring his wife and children on a visit to the UK next week, if security arrangements can be put in place.

There had been uncertainty about whether the Duchess of Sussex and their children, Archie and Lilibet, would travel with Prince Harry on a trip from their home in the US.

The prince has raised worries about the level of police protection when he is in the UK – but as things stand, his team is planning on the basis that Meghan and the children will accompany him.

“The Duke continues to explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the UK,” his spokesman said on Monday.

At present, it’s expected that the trip will go ahead as originally planned, which would include Meghan and their children travelling to the UK.

Prince Harry has previously said he wouldn’t bring his wife and children to the country without improved security arrangements.

He told the BBC last year: “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”

The challenge has been about the rulings of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which decides on the security provision for senior royals and other public figures.

Prince Harry’s team has argued that he has not been offered a level of security proportionate to the risk – and they have questioned whether the potential threat has been adequately assessed.

There was also an unsuccessful legal challenge by the prince over his police protection, and during that time his wife and children have not visited the UK or seen the King – Archie and Lilibet’s grandfather.

Prince Harry and Meghan were last together in the UK at the time of the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

The prince has travelled alone to the UK since – he met his father on a trip last September, which was seen as a step towards a rapprochement.

But it seems as though efforts are still being made to ensure that next week’s trip can go ahead as planned – and so far there have been no changes to events, venues or those attending.

Prince Harry and his family have been offered accommodation on a royal estate, which would come with security already in place.

But the prince’s team points to the risks of external events – the trip will promote the Invictus Games, which he is a founder of, due to be held in Birmingham next year.

His spokesman said: “Prince Harry’s programme in the United Kingdom includes both public and private engagements across the country.

“Safe accommodation is only one element of an effective protective security plan because risk follows the person, not the place.”

The government said it will not comment on specific security arrangements for high-profile figures, but a spokesman said it would be “rigorous and proportionate”.

“It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security,” the spokesman added.

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