Prince Harry Reportedly Fears His Children Won’t Meet Their Grandfather King Charles

The Duke of Sussex had been hopeful that his children would finally get to meet their grandfather again on British soil. Those hopes have been crushed after security arrangements reportedly fell through at the eleventh hour.

Prince Harry may be unable to bring his family to the UK next month after all. The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan, had been planning to bring their children over for the Year-To-Go countdown festivities for the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027.

The trip would have marked their first visit to the UK as a family since 2022 — a return made impossible by an ongoing security dispute.

The couple lost their publicly funded police protection in 2020 following their departure from royal duties, and Harry has since pursued legal action to have it reinstated, citing serious safety concerns every time he returns to Britain.

He lost that legal battle in May 2025. Shortyly afterward, he told the BBC that he couldn't "see a world" in which he could bring his wife and kids to the UK "at this point."

Earlier this year, however, there was reason for optimism. In January, the Daily Mail cited a government source indicating that Harry's security had effectively been approved.

Sources close to the Sussexes told The Mail on Sunday that the reinstatement of armed protection had been assured following a fresh risk assessment carried out for the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as Ravec.

(Ravec is an independent body whose membership includes the royal household, the Home Office, the Cabinet Office, and the Metropolitan Police.)

"It's now a formality. Sources at the Home Office have indicated that security is nailed on for Harry," a source said at the time. Harry's legal team, meanwhile, confirmed they were still awaiting a formal update from the Home Office.

Those hopes have since been dashed. The Duke had reportedly been excited for his son, Prince Archie, 7, and daughter, Princess Lilibet, 5, to be reunited with their grandfather, King Charles — only for the visit to be "pulled out from under their feet at the 11th hour."

A source close to Harry said the prince was "distraught" by the news, and that he would not subject his children to being "chased by paparazzi wherever they go from the moment they step off the plane."

The insider added that Harry was exploring every available option to make the trip work, but feared it would not be possible without proper security arrangements in place.

"Their plans to see family, friends and visit various charitable causes close to the duke's heart have been pulled out from under their feet at the 11th hour," the insider said. "He's looking at every option to try and get the family here safely and keep them safe when they're on the ground. If he can find a way to do that he will."

"The hope is they can meet their grandfather, but there is no way that can happen if they are chased by paparazzi wherever they go from the moment they step off the plane," the insider added. "He won't put his children through that."

The collapse of the plans echoes the anguish Harry expressed publicly after losing his legal appeal last May, when he told the BBC, "I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point."

"The things that they're going to miss is, well, everything," he added of his children. "I miss the U.K., I miss parts of the U.K., of course I do. I think that it's really quite sad that I won't be able to show my children my homeland."