Prince Harry’s return to the UK has reportedly ignited a blame game at Buckingham Palace. The dispute arose over conflicting details about King Charles’ offer of royal accommodation. The news follows the Prince’s announcement that Meghan Markle, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet are no longer traveling to London with him.
Prince Harry says he accepted King Charles’ offer, while palace sources say he missed the deadline
An extraordinary dispute has emerged over Prince Harry’s upcoming return to Britain. Buckingham Palace and the Duke of Sussex’s team are telling very different stories about what unfolded with King Charles’ offer of royal accommodation (via PEOPLE).
On July 6, Prince Harry’s spokesperson said, “It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn.” They added that Buckingham Palace pointed to Tuesday’s expected decision in Prince Harry’s case against Associated Newspapers as the cause. The spokesperson further claimed that the Palace had known the ruling was imminent for days, which made the justification unclear.
Buckingham Palace, however, presented a contrasting version of events. Sources at the Palace said the accommodation offer remained valid until late last week. Despite multiple requests for clarity, no formal acceptance came in before the cut-off needed to make arrangements. In the Palace’s version, correspondence on Saturday morning formally rejected the King’s offer. The Duke later asked for a short stay, but the Household said staffing and hosting arrangements were no longer possible.
According to Buckingham Palace sources, the timing of Tuesday’s judgment brought extra constitutional issues. The King, they argued, should not appear compromised amid ongoing legal proceedings involving his younger son. They confirmed that a royal residence remains available for the Duke’s family on a later visit.
The dueling briefings came after a week of shifting plans around Prince Harry’s return to the UK. The Sussexes’ spokesperson noted that last week was largely spent setting up alternative security. The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, RAVEC, refused to extend police protection to his family beyond royal grounds. After that, the Prince accepted the King’s offer of accommodation for himself during the weekend.
Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.
