Prince Harry will travel to London next week without his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, due to denied police protection and ongoing security concerns [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The Duke of Sussex is scheduled for a five-day visit across the UK, including events in London and Birmingham to promote the 2027 Invictus Games and support charity initiatives [1, 8, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Harry has repeatedly expressed his wish to bring Archie and Lilibet to Britain but has been prevented by the UK government's refusal to provide taxpayer-funded armed police protection following his and Meghan’s 2020 step down as senior working royals [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7]. After losing a 2025 legal challenge against the removal of his automatic police detail, Harry must now travel solo with his family remaining safely abroad [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
The visit has rekindled hopes of a rare meeting between Harry’s children and their grandfather King Charles, who has seen little of Archie and Lilibet in recent years amid strained relations with Harry [1, 2, 3, 6, 7]. However, Meghan and the children may still join Harry later in the week elsewhere in the UK, possibly attending the Birmingham events, though that remains unconfirmed [8, 6, 7]. Harry also intends to take the children to see the Spencer family estate Althorp and the grave of Princess Diana, their grandmother, a visit they have not yet made [6, 7].
Harry is expected to stay either at a private residence or possibly a royal property during the trip. If he stays in a royal estate, police protection would be automatic, but it is not confirmed whether King Charles has extended an invitation [2]. Meanwhile, Harry’s relationship with his brother Prince William remains distant, with no immediate reconciliation in sight [8, 2, 7].
The trip carries added uncertainty as Harry awaits a ruling in a court case against Associated Newspapers over alleged illegal information acquisition, expected during his UK stay [1, 8, 7]. Public opinion polls show Meghan remains unpopular in the UK, with a YouGov poll indicating only 20% have a positive view of her since 2017 [8, 7].
Harry’s visit officially begins on July 7, with planned appearances in London and Birmingham. The 5-day itinerary includes Invictus Games promotion and several charity commitments [1, 8, 7].
