Buckingham Palace has said that Prince Harry will not stay at a royal residence during his visit to London this week after his acceptance of an accommodation offer arrived too late.
The development follows conflicting accounts from Buckingham Palace and the Duke of Sussex’s team over whether an invitation to stay at the palace had been accepted.
According to royal sources, Prince Harry was offered accommodation at a royal residence but failed to formally respond before the deadline at the end of last week.
The palace said it informed the Duke over the weekend that it could no longer host him because sufficient notice was required to make the necessary arrangements and assign Royal Household staff.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry acknowledged that the offer had been withdrawn, describing the decision as “disappointing”.
However, Buckingham Palace maintained that the Duke’s team had initially declined the invitation in correspondence on Saturday before later changing its position and attempting to accept the offer the same day, by which time it was too late to make arrangements.
The palace also cited concerns about Prince Harry staying at the royal residence while a court ruling relating to his legal action against Associated Newspapers was due to be delivered on Tuesday, saying this could have implications for King Charles III’s constitutional neutrality.
The Duke’s spokesperson disputed that account, insisting the accommodation offer had been formally accepted and rejecting suggestions that the timing of the court ruling influenced the decision.
The disagreement has highlighted the continuing tensions between the Duke of Sussex and Buckingham Palace, with both sides publicly presenting conflicting versions of events.
Despite the accommodation dispute, Prince Harry is expected to proceed with his engagements in the United Kingdom, including events promoting the 2027 Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and the couple’s children, Archie and Lilibet, are not expected to accompany him to London following the decision that they will not receive taxpayer-funded police protection during the visit, although they could join him later in Birmingham.
