Prince Harry Plans UK Visit With Children Amid Security and Family Issues
Prince Harry's Upcoming Visit: Security, Family, and Legal Challenges
By Sarah Young
LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Prince Harry is due to return to Britain next week, hoping to bring his young children on a rare visit to show them the country where he grew up but where the privacy concerns and family disputes that drove him away still linger.
Harry, the younger son of King Charles, will arrive with his wife Meghan on Tuesday, which by coincidence is the same day he will learn whether he has won a hugely expensive court case against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations of widespread unlawful behaviour.
A row with the government over security arrangements for him and his family has also affected his plans, alongside speculation about whether his children will meet their grandfather, as the family seeks to reconcile after years apart.
Security and Safety Concerns
Safety Concerns for His Kids
Harry has lived in the United States since 2020 with his American wife Meghan. His children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, last visited Britain four years ago, and Harry has spoken in the past of how he longs to bring them to the country he loves.
But the prince, who is also known as the Duke of Sussex, has said that the level of police protection offered by Britain has meant he was unable to bring his children in the past, and there is still a question mark over whether they will come this time.
"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 earlier this week.
During Harry's visits last year, a known stalker was said to have got close to him on two occasions.
Focus of the Visit
The main focus of Harry's trip is to promote the Invictus Games, his sporting event for wounded military veterans that is taking place in Birmingham, central England, next year. He is also due to attend a number of charitable engagements.
He will likely be asked by media for reaction once the judgment is revealed in the high-profile court case brought by Harry, alongside Elton John and others. At stake are millions of pounds in costs and reputational damage for whichever side loses.
Family Relationships and Reconciliation
Bad Blood
Harry, 41, and Meghan stepped down as working members of the royal family when they moved to the U.S., citing a desire to be financially independent and to escape what they characterised as media intrusion into their private lives.
Over the six years since, the depth of the bad blood between Harry and his father and brother has become clear, made public in interviews given by Harry and in his autobiography.
The king has barely seen his two grandchildren since they were born but Harry said in May last year he wanted the fighting to end.
"I would love reconciliation with my family," he told the BBC in an interview.
Meeting King Charles
Months later, he met King Charles, 77, for the first time in almost two years, but it is not known what plans there are for the family to see Charles, who is being treated for cancer, on this visit.
While in Britain, the family are expected to stay at royal palaces, where there will be security provision, as well as at private residences.
Security Arrangements and Legal Battles
The government decided to remove automatic police protection for Harry in Britain when he stepped down from royal duties in 2020, a decision he took to court, but lost at appeal last year.
Asked about what police protection Harry and his family would have on this trip, a government spokesperson said it was their policy not to provide information on arrangements for high-profile figures for security reasons.
"The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate," the spokesperson said.
(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Alex Richardson)
