Prince Harry ‘rejected’ King’s invite to stay

Duke of Sussex ‘turned down’ offer to stay over at royal residence this month over security worry

THE Duke of Sussex turned down an invitation from his father to stay at a royal residence earlier this month because of security concerns, The Telegraph understands. Prince Harry, 39, spent three nights in London when he flew from California to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games but did not see the King.

He is said to have made several requests for a meeting but on arrival in the UK, issued a statement stating that they would not meet. He suggested it was because his father was too busy.

However, the King, 75, agreed to a request from his son to stay at an undisclosed royal residence, aware that he no longer has an official UK home.

Had the invitation been accepted, it may have provided an opportunity for time together. The Duke declined because the offer did not come with any security provision, meaning he would have been staying in a visible location with public entrance and exit points and no police protection.

Instead, he chose to stay at a hotel, as he has done on all recent visits, meaning he could come and go unseen.

Royal residences are among the best protected properties in the country, with armed officers stationed at the gates. However, the Duke’s primary concern is the level of security he is afforded outside.

The Duke remains devastated about the withdrawal of his right to automatic police protection. He applied for a judicial review after the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) declared in February 2020 that he and his family were no longer entitled to the “same degree” of personal security in Britain.

Instead, a “bespoke” arrangement was created that involved assessing each visit on its merits.

The Duke told the High Court that he felt “forced” to step back from royal duties and leave the UK. He accused the

Home Office of subjecting him to “unlawful and unfair treatment” by denying his family the right to automatic security and claimed he had been singled out and treated “less favourably” than others.

He said he believed the decision was imposed upon him “as some form of punishment for protecting my family and putting them first”.

The Duke offered to pay for his own security but was told the Metropolitan Police Service was not for hire.

He lost the legal challenge in February, leaving him with an estimated legal bill of more than £1million. Mr Justice Lane insisted that Ravec’s decision had not been irrational or procedurally unfair and rejected the Duke’s “inappropriate, formalist interpretation” of the process.

Harry is now required to give at least 28 days’ notice of his visits to the UK, including all details of his travel arrangements, to allow the committee to assess his security requirements.

He has been denied almost every request, except for the odd occasion when he has travelled to or from a royal event, such as the Coronation.