It was claimed Prince Harry turned down an invitation from the king to stay at a royal residence when he visited the UK earlier this month because he had “security concerns”.
He is said to have rejected his father’s offer because it did not include any taxpayer-funded personal security provision, which would leave him in a “visible location with public entry and exit points and no police protection.”
Instead he opted to stay in a hotel, presumably with members of the public, because it meant he “could come and go without being seen”, he claimed. The Telegraph.
The newspaper further maintained that the Duke of Sussex “remains devastated” by the withdrawal of his automatic right to police protection, something the Home Office is still fighting against through the British courts.
You now have to give the Metropolitan Police 28 days’ notice before coming to the UK if you want to apply for security allowance, and Ravec, the committee that oversees the protection of royalty and public figures, assesses each application individually. .
Prince Harry reportedly turned down the opportunity to stay at a royal residence and potentially reunite with his father due to security concerns. In the photo: Charles and Harry at the opening of the Invictus Games in London in 2014.
Upon arriving in the UK earlier this month, Harry suggested he would not be meeting Charles because his father was “too busy.” Pictured: King Charles visits the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on May 20
The Duke of Sussex is reportedly still devastated by the withdrawal of his taxpayer-funded guarantee. Pictured: Harry leaves the Invictus Games 10th anniversary thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on May 8.
While it has not been revealed where the King offered Harry a room, St James’s Palace is a strong possibility.
Princess Beatrice has a permanent apartment there, while Princess Anne has a set of rooms and a parking space that she uses during her stay in London.
Other members of the Royal Family use it on an ad hoc basis.
In addition, it is located right next to Clarence House, where the King stays when he is in London.
It would have allowed father and son a place to meet in relative privacy and is guarded 24 hours a day by a “ring of steel.”
In fact, all royal residences, whichever one was offered to Harry, have armed guards at entry and exit points, unlike any London hotel, and have the most sophisticated security systems in the country to protect working family members.
Buckingham Palace has consistently refused to comment on anything to do with Harry and his father.
But a spokesman for the prince decided to issue a statement when he came to London in early May to attend a service commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
It strongly suggested that, while Harry was eager to meet his father, the King was indeed “too busy” to see him.
However, it has since become clear that, although His Majesty indeed had a packed schedule that week, the King had made conciliatory proposals that would have allowed him to see his son.
In total, Harry spent three nights in the capital without seeing any members of his family before meeting his wife, Meghan, at Heathrow airport and flying to Nigeria for a quasi-royal tour.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend a polo fundraising event in Lagos, Nigeria, on May 12.
Pictured: King Charles and Queen Camilla visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on May 20
In 2020, Harry sought a judicial review into the decision to strip him and his family of publicly funded police protection when they decided to abandon royal duties and leave the United Kingdom.
Instead, a “bespoke” arrangement was created which involved evaluating each visit on its merits.
The prince has since accused the Home Office of subjecting him to “illegal and unfair treatment” and claims he has been singled out and treated “less favourably” than other members of the family as “punishment”.
He offered to pay for his own security, but was firmly told that the Metropolitan Police could not be treated as a “contracted” service.
In February he definitively lost his legal challenge and was left with a bill estimated at £1 million.
However, he has vowed to keep fighting and says he does not feel safe bringing his wife and children to the UK under current conditions.
According to the Telegraph, the prince has only been allowed police protection when taking part in royal events, such as the late queen’s funeral, or when he was transported to meet the king from Heathrow in February following his cancer diagnosis.
The newspaper, which has gone into great detail about Harry’s security measures, claims that when traveling to and from his hotel in February, the prince only had his own private bodyguards.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment, while Sussex’s spokesperson in the UK was approached for comment.