After request for police protection was denied, Harry has decided it would not be safe to bring his family across

Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will not join Prince Harry in London during his visit to the UK next week.

The Duke of Sussex had hoped to reunite his two children with their estranged grandfather, King Charles III.

However, after a request for police protection was denied, GB News understands Harry has decided it would not be safe to bring his children to the capital.

The King had been keen to see his grandchildren again. They have not visited the UK since 2022.

Harry is understood to be in discussions with his father about the details of his trip. He is yet to respond to the Palace's offer to stay in a royal residence.

While the prince declared it unsafe for his family to join him in London, they could still travel to Britain.

The Duke of Sussex is due in Birmingham for the Invictus Games' One Year To Go ceremony, and it is believed he is very keen to take the children to visit his mother.

Princess Diana was laid to rest at Althorp Park, the Spencer family's ancestral estate in Northamptonshire, England.

According to the website for the stately home, Althorp House will be closed between July 10 and July 11.

Harry's team had confirmed last month that he intended to travel to the UK with his family, reuniting his children with the King.

However, the trip was quickly thrown into uncertainty with regard to security and whether Harry would receive taxpayer-funded protection for his family during their stay.

The prince discovered last week that a crucial review by the Risk Management Board — part of the process through which Ravec determines his security requirements — had still not occurred, potentially leaving his family at risk.

LATEST ROYAL NEWS

Harry's private security team warned the Government in a 40-page threat assessment that five out of six known terrorist plots targeting the Duke have originated on British soil.

They added that a terrorist attack on the Duke of Sussex during the Invictus Games could result in mass casualties.

A spokesman for the prince stated earlier this week: “Prince Harry’s programme in the United Kingdom includes both public and private engagements across the country.

“Safe accommodation is only one element of an effective protective security plan because risk follows the person, not the place.

“The issue has never been accommodation. The issue is whether appropriate and proportionate protective security is being provided throughout the entirety of the visit.

“The independent Risk Management Board that Ravec itself decided was necessary last November has still not taken place.

“It is therefore difficult to understand how the proportionality of the current arrangements can credibly be maintained without that independent assessment.

“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 UK.”

One option that could still be explored is flying his family to the UK for the day. However, with Harry ruling out London, it adds a significant challenge to King Charles's reconciliation with Archie and Lilibet.