Prince Harry will only return to UK with Meghan, Archie and Lilibet if 'major change' takes place
8 April 2024, 15:22
Prince Harry will only return to UK with Meghan, Archie and Lilibet if a 'major change' takes place ahead of the royal's latest visit.
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Harry is expected to return to the UK in May to attend a service at St Paul’s Cathedral marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
It follows the government's bid to host the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, a £26 million pitch put forward in March through the Office for Veterans' Affairs.
The final decision over the host city is expected to be overseen by the Invictus Games Foundation, raising questions about the wider royal family's backing of the charity and Harry's attendance should the UK be named host.
Despite Harry's imminent return ahead of the games' tenth anniversary, the Duke of Sussex is expected to travel alone.
It leaves question marks over whether wife Meghan will attend should the prospective bid be won by the UK and whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children Archie, four, and Lilibet, two, could move back to their former home, Frogmore Cottage, for for the event.
However, according to reports in The Telegraph, the royal would only return to the UK with his family if his security privileges were changed.
A source has reportedly said that unless he can overturn the ruling, he does not feel it would be safe to bring his wife, or their children to the UK.
It follows a court ruling in February in which a judge ruled the Duke of Sussex was not unlawfully stripped of his publicly funded protection, rejecting the royal's appeal.
The judge added that the U.K. government didn’t act irrationally in removing the royal's security privileges after he chose to step back from royal duties and moved to the US in June 2020.
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The Invictus Games project is one that remains close to the royal's heart, as Harry continues to work closely with the charity which assists veterans through sport after leaving the armed forces.
Recent years have seen the Invictus Games grow in popularity, with the global event now involving 22 countries and more than 500 athletes.
However, it remains unknown whether the royal family would back the games publicly should they return to the UK with Harry in support.
Last year’s Invictus Games took place in Düsseldorf, Germany, with a 59 person UK team winning a total of 69 medals.
The Invictus Games remains a huge personal project for the royal, with Harry regularly seen attending events around the world in support of the veterans.
At the time, a royal courtier was quoted as saying: “Prince William and Catherine always supported Harry’s efforts to establish Invictus. They are delighted that it has been a success.”
Senior royals were seen to attend the UK event back in 2014, with the then Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William in attendance.
Now, with the King and the Princess of Wales undergoing cancer treatment, it remains unknown whether the same level of support would be shown for Harry's charity.
