Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to bring Archie and Lilibet to the UK in July, a trip that would put the Duke and Duchess of Sussex back in Britain with their children for the first time in four years. The visit arrives as security arrangements remain unresolved and King Charles has not yet been confirmed to meet his grandchildren.
July visit for Archie and Lilibet
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, are expected to travel with their parents, and the timing would place the visit around one year before the start of the Invictus Games next month. Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in London in 2014, and next year's competition will be held in Birmingham.
For Prince Harry, who lives in California, the trip would be his first visit to the UK with his family since 2020. He has previously said he wanted to bring his two children back to his country of birth.
Security after the May ruling
Security sits at the center of the visit. Prince Harry's protection was downgraded after he stepped back from frontline royal duties in 2020 and moved to the US with his family, and in May he lost a legal case to have his police protection reinstated when visiting the UK.
After that ruling, Prince Harry said it was not safe to bring his family back to the country of his birth because he could not guarantee their safety.
In December, sources told the that his access to security when he visits the UK was under review. A government spokesperson said, The UK government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate.
The spokesperson also said, It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security.
King Charles and Clarence House
The family question remains more specific than the wider security issue. King Charles last saw his grandchildren during the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, and it is not yet known whether the King will meet Archie and Lilibet during the July trip.
Prince Harry and King Charles met at Clarence House in London last September, their first face-to-face meeting since February 2024. Prince Harry also spoke in a News interview last year about his desire for reconciliation
with the Royal Family, leaving the July visit as the next test of whether that limited contact can extend to a family meeting.
What happens next is the security decision around the July trip and whether Clarence House becomes part of the itinerary for the children who have not been back with their father to the UK since 2020.
