Prince Harry landed in Britain hours after Buckingham Palace reportedly withdrew an invitation for him to stay at a royal residence during his visit.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed that Harry arrived without Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
According to reports, King Charles had invited his son to stay at the palace and asked for a response by last Friday. Harry initially declined the offer, but several hours later decided to accept it. The palace then informed him that it was too late and that the offer was no longer valid.
Harry’s spokesperson issued an unusual statement expressing “disappointment” and accusing Buckingham Palace of withdrawing the invitation “at the last minute,” a decision that made the duke’s visit even more tense.
“I am aware of the numerous briefings that came out of Buckingham Palace last week, stating that the duke had not accepted the offer to stay at one of the royal residences,” the spokesperson said.
“After the RAVEC committee decided not to provide security for his family, the duke spent last week finalizing alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were completed, he was able to formally accept the offer to stay by himself over the weekend. It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with the ruling in the case against Associated Newspapers Limited, expected today, cited as the reason.”
(Photo: Reuters)
The statement added: “However, Buckingham Palace had been aware of the timing of the ruling since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, after the duke formally accepted the offer of accommodation, it was withdrawn at the last minute.”
As of publication, a meeting between Harry and his father, King Charles, is still expected to take place.