Prince Harry says he is still trying to bring his family to the UK next week, despite fears of a “madness” as paparazzi attempt to take rare photographs of his children.
The Duke of Sussex, his wife Meghan and their two children had planned to travel to the United Kingdom together for the first time in four years, but are reconsidering the trip due to security concerns.
Their request for taxpayer-funded police protection was rejected by British authorities, although a spokesman for the Sussexes said the prince “continues to explore all available options to ensure the visit can proceed safely and enable his children to enjoy the UK.”
Prince Harry, Meghan, seven-year-old Archie and four-year-old Lilibet live in California. During the visit, they were offered accommodation in the royal estate, which was provided with existing security. However, the question is how to protect the family when they go elsewhere.
“I think there will be huge anticipation to see Harry and Meghan, especially Meghan, return to British soil with the children,” royal commentator Afua Hagan told ABC.
“It’s going to be crazy: Where are they landing? Where do they go first? Where do they stay? What will they do while they are here?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex toured Bondi Beach during their visit earlier this year. (Poole: Jonathan Brady via Reuters)
Ms Hagan said paparazzi were “desperate” to capture the children’s faces, which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had always tried to hide from the public.
The Duchess of Sussex’s social media accounts are full of photos of Archie and Lilibet from behind.
“It’s definitely going to be crazy to see them, to see Harry and Meghan, to see the four of them and to get the first pictures of Harry’s children, Princess Diana’s grandchildren,” Ms. Hagan said.
Just over a year ago, when the Duke lost a legal challenge to ensure his security was guaranteed during his stay in the UK, he made clear his feelings about future visits to his home country.
“At the moment I don’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK,” he told the BBC in May 2025.
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His visit next week coincides with the founder’s commitments to the Invictus Games, an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans held every two years.
In 2018 the event took place in Sydney and next year it will be held in Birmingham.
“This opportunity came about a year before the Invictus Games and I think he took it as a sign that he should bring his family to the UK so they could try to build bridges,” Ms Hagan said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have had a strained relationship with the royal family.
In 2020, the couple announced they would step back from their roles as working members of the royal family and move to the United States.
The following year, they gave an interview to veteran broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, in which Prince Harry and Meghan accused the royal family of institutional racism.
The release of Prince Harry’s autobiography in 2023, which included allegations of a physical altercation with his brother in 2019, was also seen as driving a wedge between the Sussexes and other members of the royal family.
Harry ‘wants to work on reconciliation’, says royal commentator
Next week’s visit will be the first time Prince Harry’s father, King Charles III, will see his grandchildren since June 2022, during celebrations of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The last time the king saw Meghan was at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022.
It is understood that Prince Harry has not seen or spoken to his brother Prince William since then.
Last year the Duke met his father, who is currently being treated for cancer, at Clarence House in London for about 50 minutes.
“I think (Harry) is just very aware that life is too short, that he wants to work on reconciling with his father and wants to have a better relationship,” Ms Hagan said.
Afua Hagan says if the whole family goes, there will be a media frenzy. (ABC News: Alex Parsons)
Speculation is growing in the British media about whether the Sussexes will meet estranged relatives during this visit. Hate in the tabloids and online misinformation about Meghan, including some pitting her against her sister-in-law, is also growing.
Royal author Catherine Mayer told the ABC that while researching her latest book, Divide and Conquer, about the royal women, she discovered a widespread “disinformation campaign” about both women.
“What’s happening there is not that these people are trying to attack these women specifically, but that they’re using the heat around them, the debate, pitting their real fans against each other to destroy or undermine people’s sense of what is true,” Ms. Mayer said.
“There are all kinds of fake content, especially on TikTok, but also on other platforms.
“There are state actors like China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia that are involved in these campaigns using troll farms.”
Ms Hagan said she hoped Meghan could block out the hate as she prepared to return to the UK.
“Meghan has had some really unnecessary internalized hatred directed at her, so I hope she (has) just put on blinders and won’t let the ruthless, and they will be ruthless, make the headlines get to her,” Ms Hagan said.