Prince Harry to travel alone to London

Meghan and the children may still join trip outside the capital

LONDON:

Prince Harry's wife Meghan and their two children will not travel to London with him next week, his spokesperson said on Saturday, although a visit elsewhere in Britain had not been ruled out.

Harry, the younger son of King Charles, is due in London and Birmingham next week for a series of charity engagements and events promoting the 2027 Invictus Games.

Meghan, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, were expected to travel with the prince, but his spokesperson said they had now dropped plans to travel to London. The Telegraph newspaper reported that the decision was taken after a request for police protection was denied.

The spokesperson added, however, that the family had not ruled out travelling elsewhere in Britain, including to Birmingham, where Harry is due to promote the 2027 Invictus Games.

Harry has repeatedly expressed a desire to bring his children to Britain, which they have not visited for several years, but has said concerns about security have complicated those plans.

"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 spokesperson said earlier this week.

The prince has long argued that security concerns put his family at risk when visiting Britain.

Last year he lost a legal challenge against a government decision to remove the automatic police protection afforded to him after he stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States with Meghan. The planned visit had raised the prospect of a rare meeting between Archie and Lilibet and their grandfather, King Charles, who has seen little of the children in recent years as relations between Harry and the royal family remain strained.