Prince Harry is reconsidering his plans to bring his wife and children to Britain next month after his request for police protection was rejected, according to BBC reports.
Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, were due to make their first family visit to Britain in four years.
His entourage had made a formal request for police protection during their stay in the UK, but were reportedly told on Friday that no taxpayer-funded security would be provided.
Sources say Prince Harry is disappointed by the decision, which was made just days before the family's planned arrival, but would still like to find a way to make the trip happen.
Prince Harry's request rejected
The prince's team was awaiting the outcome of a security assessment by the Royal Family and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which decides on the provision of security for senior members of the royal family on behalf of the Home Office.
On Friday, after details of the visit to the UK were announced, his team were told that the family would not be provided with police protection.
Prince Harry and Meghan had already accepted an offer to stay at a royal mansion during the trip as guests of King Charles, although the location of the chosen royal residence had not been made public.
They were also expected to use private accommodation during their stay in the UK.
During their stay at the royal estate, police protection will be provided, but outside of these hours, Prince Harry will have to rely on the private security team that travels with him from California.
The visit to Britain
The family was due to stay in the UK for around five days.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had planned to accompany her husband to a series of public events in London and elsewhere.
The visit was planned to mark the start of the annual countdown to the Invictus Games for wounded servicemen, which are due to be held in Birmingham next July. Prince Harry is one of the founders of the games.
He was also expected to visit other UK-based charities, which he has continued to support since moving to California.
On previous visits, Prince Harry had turned down an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace due to concerns about the security implications of using such a well-known and visible building.
Last year, he lost a court battle to have regular police protection during his visits to the UK.
Prince Harry told the BBC after the decision that he wanted to “reconcile” with the royal family. He also said he was concerned that it would not be safe to bring his wife and children back to the country where he was born.
A final decision on the trip and the participation of Prince Harry’s wife and children will be made in the coming days.
