Prince Harry presses ahead with family's UK visit amid security concerns

LONDON – Prince Harry is expected to land in the United Kingdom next week but questions regarding the security arrangements for his young family continue to swirl.

There has been much interest in the family's rare visit to Harry's homeland, particularly in where they will stay, with King Charles offering them an unnamed royal residence.

Harry's spokesman told USA TODAY June 29 that "the issue has never been accommodation" and that "the issue is whether appropriate and proportionate protective security is being provided throughout the entirety of the visit."

Harry, 41, and wife Meghan, 44, are still hoping to bring their children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, back to Britain, where they have not visited all together since 2022. Harry has long raised concerns about the safety of his loved ones, telling the BBC last year, "I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point."

A royal residence would come with royal security, though Harry's spokesman noted that "safe accommodation is only one element of an effective protective security plan because risk follows the person, not the place."

Harry's security was downgraded in 2020 when he and Meghan stepped away from their roles as working royals and left British soil to build a home in the United States. The move sparked anger among some, admiration among others. Mostly, it muddied the waters of whether the king's youngest son was still entitled to stringent royal security.

Harry's spokesman said Monday that an assessment by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, or Ravec, which determines security provisions for senior royals and other public figures had not yet taken place.

Last year the duke lost an appeal in a U.K. court over the levels of security he and his family are entitled to while spending time in Britain.

"The Duke continues to explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the U.K.," his spokesman said.

The trip will mark the first time the Sussex family has visited Harry's home country in four years. In June 2022, the family of four joined a celebration to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 70-year reign. Meghan has not been back to Britain since September 2022, for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Harry has made solo trips back home to England but has not seen his father since September.

This time around, Harry's July trip will combine private and public engagements across the country, his representative said.