Prince Harry and his family are set to stay at a royal residence during their visit to the UK next month, amid ongoing concerns over their personal safety.
The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to attend the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham. A review into his request for taxpayer-funded security has taken six months to complete, yet Harry has still not been informed of its outcome.
A source close to the Duke said: “He has grown increasingly frustrated with the whole process and has had to alter his standpoint. From initially being told a decision would be made within a matter of weeks, it is now more than six months on.
“He was determined to travel back to the UK with his family around the Invictus event, so he has finally made the decision to accept the offer of staying at a royal residence which he believes will be sufficient.”
Harry, 41, who will be accompanied by his wife Meghan and their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, has previously stated that the country of his birth is “not safe”.
On previous solo visits to the UK, Harry, who stepped down as a working royal in 2020, had declined offers to stay at a royal residence. However, it is understood the family will be accommodated at Buckingham Palace for the forthcoming trip.
He lost both a High Court battle and a subsequent Court of Appeal hearing to retain his police protection last year, before lodging an appeal with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
In a letter, Harry is believed to have asserted that threats to his safety persist, despite stepping back from royal duties.
The visit marks the first occasion the family have been in the UK together since 2022, when they attended Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
Sources close to the Sussexes have also disclosed that the Duchess has taken a “considerable interest” in the Invictus Games and was “determined” to make the visit to Birmingham.
In recent years, Harry has been involved in a lengthy legal dispute with the British government regarding the decision to withdraw his taxpayer-funded security while in the UK.
The Duke’s access to police protection was withdrawn following his and Meghan’s decision in 2020 to step down from his royal role and relocate to the United States.