Prince Harry to visit London alone as Meghan, children skip UK trip

Prince Harry will travel to London next week without his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, amid ongoing concerns over security in the United Kingdom.

A source close to the Duke of Sussex told AFP on Saturday that Meghan and the children would not join Harry during the London leg of the visit.

The source added that arrangements for the remainder of the trip were still under consideration, leaving open the possibility that the family could travel to the UK but stay outside the capital.

British media reports indicate that Harry, 41, is expected to arrive in London on Monday for a five-day visit marking the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, the international sporting event for wounded and injured military veterans that he founded in 2014.

The prince is also expected to participate in engagements involving several of his charities.

According to The Sun, Harry and Meghan had originally planned to visit a London hospital together in what would have been Meghan’s first public engagement in the UK since stepping back from royal duties. However, the visit was reportedly altered for security reasons, with Harry now expected to attend alone.

The newspaper also reported that the Sussex family, currently in Europe, still hopes to visit the UK in some capacity.

A source close to Harry had previously disclosed that the family intended to stay at royal residences, while the BBC reported they were expected to be guests of King Charles III.

Security concerns

The BBC reported that Harry reconsidered the family visit after his request for taxpayer-funded police protection for Meghan and their children was refused by the UK government.

Under the current arrangement, the family would have to rely on privately funded security except when staying on royal estates.

Harry has repeatedly expressed concerns about his family’s safety while visiting the UK, especially after losing a legal challenge seeking the restoration of full police protection.

“It’s impossible for me to take my family back to the UK safely,” he told the BBC last year.

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working members of the royal family in 2020 and relocated to North America, a move followed by years of public tensions with the Royal Family, including the publication of Harry’s memoir, Spare, and several legal disputes in the UK.

The visit also coincides with an expected court ruling on Tuesday in Harry’s legal case against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, over alleged unlawful information gathering.

It remains unclear whether Harry will meet with his father, King Charles III, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.

The pair are believed to have last met briefly at Clarence House in London in September 2025.

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