Prince Harry’s return to the U.K. has taken another awkward turn after Buckingham Palace said he will not stay at the royal residence during his London visit, despite an earlier confirmation from his side that he had accepted the offer.
ITV News reported that the Duke of Sussex had initially declined the invitation, then changed his mind and accepted over the weekend.
Palace sources told the outlet that the accommodation offer had been withdrawn by then because rooms and staffing needed to be arranged in advance.
The palace setback also comes as Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are not expected to join Harry in London. Reuters reported that the family had dropped plans for the London leg of the trip, although a possible visit elsewhere in Britain had not been fully ruled out.
Harry Accepted the Palace Offer After Making Security Arrangements
Prince Harry has accepted invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace during London visit, his spokesperson says https://t.co/C5X6CasC5M
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) July 6, 2026
Harry’s spokesperson said the duke spent last week arranging private security after RAVEC declined to provide protection for his family, according to ITV News. Once those arrangements were in place, the spokesperson said, Harry was able to formally accept the accommodation offer for himself over the weekend.
Palace sources say the acceptance arrived after the practical deadline for hosting him had passed.
ITV News reported that Palace sources said the room had to be allocated and staffing put in place for Harry’s stay. By the time he accepted, they said, the provisions needed to host him were no longer available.
The Palace Said the Deadline Had Already Passed
Doesn’t look like family relations are going too well. Despite Prince Harry saying he has accepted an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace for part of this week while he’s in the UK, the Palace no longer has any room at Inn.
Apparently, Harry did not accept an offer in time… 😬— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) July 6, 2026
The Sun also reported that the original offer was for Harry, Meghan and their children, and would have come with existing royal-residence security.
According to The Sun, Harry had reportedly considered the accommodation unsuitable before later asking to stay at the palace alone, without Meghan and the children.
Sources told The Sun that accommodation at a royal residence would still be offered for future visits.
The Daily Mail Lawsuit Added Another Complication
ITV News reported that Palace sources also had concerns about Harry staying in a royal residence on the day a judgment is due in his long-running High Court case against Associated Newspapers Ltd., the publisher of the Daily Mail.
Harry is one of several claimants in the case, alongside figures including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Baroness Doreen Lawrence. The claimants have accused Associated Newspapers of unlawful information gathering, allegations the newspaper group has strongly denied.
Harry’s spokesperson questioned the timing of the palace decision, saying Buckingham Palace had known about the Tuesday judgment since the previous Thursday. The spokesperson called it disappointing that the accommodation offer had been withdrawn after Harry formally accepted it.
Meghan, Archie and Lilibet Are Still Not Joining the London Visit
Reuters reported that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will not travel with Harry to London, although the family had not ruled out joining him elsewhere in Britain, including Birmingham.
Harry is due in London and Birmingham for charity engagements and events connected to the 2027 Invictus Games. Birmingham will host the Games, and Reuters reported that Harry is expected to attend events promoting the one-year countdown.
Reuters reported that Harry has repeatedly said he wants his children to experience the U.K., but has argued that security concerns make travel difficult after he lost automatic taxpayer-funded police protection when he stepped back from royal duties.