Prince Harry Arrives in UK Amid Tension Over Buckingham Palace Invitation Withdrawal

Prince Harry landed in the United Kingdom shortly after Buckingham Palace retracted its invitation for him to stay at the royal residence during his visit. The Duke of Sussex arrived without his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet. King Charles had initially invited Harry to stay at the palace but requested a response by the previous Friday. Harry hesitated before initially declining, then later accepted the offer, only to be informed by the palace that the invitation was no longer valid due to the delay.

Harry's spokesperson expressed disappointment and criticized Buckingham Palace for withdrawing the invitation at the last minute, which added tension to the visit. The spokesperson explained that after the RAVEC committee decided not to provide security for Harry's family, the Duke spent the previous week arranging alternative security measures. Once these were finalized, he was able to officially accept the invitation. The palace cited the pending court ruling in Harry's lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited, expected on Tuesday, as the reason for rescinding the offer.

The spokesperson also noted that the palace had known about the court ruling date since the previous Thursday, making the last-minute withdrawal unclear. Despite the controversy, a meeting between Prince Harry and King Charles is still expected to take place during the visit.