During his father’s reign, Prince Harry has visited the UK every September like clockwork. He schedules several meetings, charity events and private visits all in a week-long block. The WellChild Awards are always scheduled around his visits, and Scotty’s (formerly Scotty’s Little Soldiers) also arranges private events for Harry and the kids. One year, Harry met with NATO officials when he was in London. While his annual September visit has not been confirmed by his office, royal reporters have been dropping speculation about his upcoming visit into their stories for weeks now. My guess is that Harry told Buckingham Palace that he would be back in September, and they’re already making plans for more humiliation rituals after they rescinded their offer of a room at Buckingham Palace just before his most recent arrival in the UK. Speaking of, the Sun reports that King Charles has offered Harry a room in Buckingham Palace for his September visit. Lucy and the football.
Prince Harry is to return to Britain in weeks — and he will again be offered a room by the King at Buckingham Palace. The olive branch invite comes a few weeks after the 41-year-old Duke of Sussex did not stay there on his last visit.
His dithering is said to have seen Charles’ “patience snapped” as he ended up in private accommodation after leaving it too late to book a Palace room. But the trip went on to finish on a high as Harry, wife Meghan and their children met Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove in a private family gathering.
It is understood Harry will be here in September for a string of engagements centering around the annual WellChild Awards.
Sources last night indicated he will accept the fresh offer to stay at the Palace well in advance this time.
Currently he gives the Royal Household and cops 28 days notice of arrival. And since his eviction from Frogmore Cottage three years ago he is offered secure accommodation at royal residences.
But it is not yet known if Meghan, along with Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, will come over with him again this time.
Royal author Robert Jobson said the King’s gesture was a positive sign of relations with the Sussexes continuing to get better. He said: “Obviously there does appear to be a sense that it’s a gradual process and things are improving.”
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said: “Harry realises it is a very generous offer by his father and needs to respect that this time and be gracious about it. This is a chance perhaps for Harry to show his father he knows how to behave.”
A few things are happening all at once. The palace is furious that their humiliation set-up blew up in their faces, with even right-wing monarchists questioning why Charles was being so heartless and cruel towards his son by refusing to let him stay at BP earlier this month. This is also about the Sussex family staying at Althorp for several days… days in which the Windsors had zero access to Harry, Meghan and the children. The message of “the Sussexes are always welcome and safe at Althorp” is a horrible one for Buckingham Palace. All that being said, I do not want Harry to stay at the palace, even if Prince William would freak out and throw a tantrum. This is another set-up, another humiliation ritual, another attempt to control Harry’s movements or worse. I’m begging Harry to move differently whenever he’s in the UK.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
