Prince Harry‘s representatives claim that Buckingham Palace offered and then withdrew an invitation for him to stay at the palace during his trip to the U.K. this week.
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“Following RAVEC’s decision not to provide security for his family, the Duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend,” a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said in a Monday, July 6, statement to the BBC and ITV News, after his team announced earlier on Monday that Harry, 41, would stay at the palace.
“It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason,” the statement continued, referring to Harry’s lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper, the results of which will be announced by the U.K.’s High Court on Tuesday, July 7.
The statement continued, “Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.”
According to the BBC and ITV News, citing Buckingham Palace sources, Harry accepted the invitation to stay at the palace too late. The BBC report said that a deadline to formally accept accommodation was set for the end of last week, while ITV News reported the prince as only accepting the offer on Saturday. Harry was reportedly told of the decision over the weekend.
Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for Harry and Buckingham Palace for comment.
Harry is due in the U.K. this week to promote the 2027 Invictus Games, which will take place in Birmingham, England, next year. He will take part in a series of public and private engagements across the U.K., a spokesperson previously confirmed.
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On Tuesday, the U.K.’s High Court will also give its ruling in a lawsuit brought against Associated Newspapers Limited by several high-profile names, including Harry, Elton John and actress Elizabeth Hurley. The group is accusing the publisher of publishing stories about them between 1993 and 2011 using information that was unlawfully obtained. A 10-week trial began in January.
The BBC and ITV News reported that palace sources expressed concerns about Harry staying at a royal residence on the day of the verdict.
On Saturday, July 4, the BBC reported that Harry would not be joined on the trip to London by his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, despite previous reports that the family might travel to the U.K. together for the first time in years. The broadcaster reported that it is possible that Meghan and the children could join Harry in Birmingham, however.
Harry and Meghan, 44, lost their taxpayer-funded security when they stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and moved to the U.S. In May 2025, he lost an appeal to reinstate his security.
“I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” Harry told the BBC in May 2025 after losing the appeal, citing safety concerns for his family.
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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 6:12 AM.