Prince Harry is flying to London on July 7, 2026 by himself. His wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, are not going with him. Just a few weeks ago, everyone expected the whole family to go together.

This change happened quickly. In mid-June, The Telegraph reported the family planned to travel together for an event connected to the Invictus Games. By July 4, Page Six and People said the family might not go. By July 6, AP News said the problem was "security."

Security has been a problem for years. When Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020, Harry lost his police protection from the Metropolitan Police. He's been fighting about this in court ever since, and it's still not settled. For Meghan and the children to visit the UK, they would need protection that Harry has arranged privately. The security issue makes their visit much more complicated than Harry's solo trip.

Where Will Harry Stay?

Another argument came up about where Harry would sleep in London. GB News said on July 6 that the Palace had invited Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace, the official royal residence. The Telegraph reported the same day that actually, the Palace said he couldn't stay there. These two stories contradict each other completely.

The Telegraph's version is more likely to be correct. The Palace hasn't made a public statement, so one of these reports has to be wrong. Either way, Harry will be in London. Where exactly he sleeps matters in royal family politics because where someone stays can signal whether they are welcome or not.

His Schedule and the Bigger Picture

Harry will be in London from July 7 to July 11. He has planned events including a charity festival for children who have lost parents. Meghan had been scheduled to visit a hospital—her first major public appearance in the UK in six years. It's unclear if that will still happen now.

Harry did meet briefly with King Charles III in June for about 45 minutes at Clarence House, after the King's cancer diagnosis. That was a sign that they might repair their relationship. But these current plans falling apart suggest the family's problems haven't really been solved.

The children haven't been to the UK in over four years. Whether they'll ever come back depends on whether the security issue gets worked out, and so far the Palace hasn't fixed it. This trip shows the same disagreements keep coming up between Harry and the royal family—nothing is moving toward a real fix.