Prince Harry will only bring Meghan Markle, Archie and Lilibet to UK on one condition
Prince Harry is expected to return to the UK next month for a special service at St Paul’s Cathedral, but it is unclear whether his wife Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet will join him
Prince Harry is reportedly only willing to bring Meghan Markle, Archie and Lilibet to the UK on one condition. The Duke of Sussex is anticipated to return to the UK in just a few weeks for another visit.
He is expected to attend a special service at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8, marking the 10th anniversary of his highly successful Invictus Games.
The inaugural event of these games, which are designed for sick and injured servicemen and women, took place in London in 2014 and were co-founded by Harry.
His wife Meghan Markle has been a staunch supporter of Invictus and recently joined her husband on a trip to Canada in February to promote the 2025 Games, set to take place in Vancouver and Whistler next year.
However, uncertainty surrounds whether Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will join him for next month’s event in London.
According to The Telegraph, one issue prevents Harry from bringing his family to the UK – unless something changes.
The publication reports that unless Harry can overturn a Home Office ruling stating he is not immediately entitled to police protection when in the UK, he does not feel comfortable bringing Meghan, Archie and Lilibet to the UK, reports the Mirror.
Harry and Meghan at an Invictus Games event in Vancouver earlier this year
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Harry with wife Meghan and children Archie and Lilibet
Harry has been contesting the February 2020 resolution of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that decreed he would no longer receive the “same degree” of publicly-funded protection during his stays in the country.
According to his legal team, Harry was discriminatorily “singled out” and treated “less favourably” in the decision to alter the level of his taxpayer-provided personal security.
They contended this failure to perform a risk analysis and consider the impact of a potential “successful attack” on him rendered his security provision “unlawful and unfair”.
Harry and Meghan at an Invictus Games event in Vancouver earlier this year
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Harry with wife Meghan and children Archie and Lilibet
Harry will only bring his wife and children to the UK on one condition
Harry has been contesting the February 2020 resolution of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that decreed he would no longer receive the “same degree” of publicly-funded protection during his stays in the country.
According to his legal team, Harry was discriminatorily “singled out” and treated “less favourably” in the decision to alter the level of his taxpayer-provided personal security.
They contended this failure to perform a risk analysis and consider the impact of a potential “successful attack” on him rendered his security provision “unlawful and unfair”.
The Government has called for the dismissal of Prince Harry’s claim, arguing that Ravec under the jurisdiction of the Home Office had the right to determine that the Duke’s protection should be ‘bespoke’ and considered on a “case-by-case” basis. Lawyers from the Home Office stated that while the Duke was no longer part of the group whose “security position” was regularly reviewed by Ravec, he could be “brought back within the cohort in the appropriate circumstances”.
In a verdict delivered in February, retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane dismissed Prince Harry’s argument that he was “singled out” and treated “less favourably” by the decision, concluding that Ravec’s approach was neither irrational nor procedurally unfair. The Duke has declared his intention to appeal the ruling.
Prince Harry’s most recent visit to the UK occurred in February when he journeyed alone to London to see his father, King Charles, following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis. He made a swift trip from Los Angeles to London within hours of the news breaking, spending approximately 30 minutes with his father before returning to the United States the following day.
In a subsequent US TV interview, Harry discussed his visit, revealing further trips to the UK were planned. Speaking on Good Morning America, he said: “Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that. I’ve got other trips planned that will take me through the UK, or back to the UK, and so I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can.”
