King Charles extends olive branch to estranged son amid ongoing tensions.
Buckingham Palace has reportedly reopened its doors to Prince Harry, offering him an invitation to stay at the royal residence during his upcoming trip to the UK. This gesture, allegedly initiated by King Charles III, is seen as an effort to mend fractured ties with his son.
However, Harry has declined the offer and will stay elsewhere as he prepares to attend his trial against News Group Newspapers. According to The Mirror, the Duke of Sussex chose not to accept the Palace’s invitation, mirroring a similar decision during his solo trip to London in May 2024, when he opted for a hotel instead of royal accommodations.
Despite no longer having a UK residence following the loss of Frogmore Cottage in 2023, Harry will receive “limited police protection” during his visit. Sir Mark Rowley, London’s Metropolitan Police commissioner, has arranged security via the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command, although staffing challenges persist.
“He is being offered limited police protection,” a source revealed, adding, “The Met has been trying to recruit officers on their days off because they don’t have a lot of spare staff.”
During Harry’s last trans-Atlantic visit, he stayed at Althorp House, his late mother Princess Diana’s childhood home, while attending his uncle Lord Robert Fellowes’ funeral in Norfolk.
The Palace’s invitation, coupled with King Charles’s reported effort to bridge the divide, underscores the monarch’s desire for reconciliation. However, Harry’s decision to decline the offer suggests that tensions within the family remain unresolved. Whether this gesture will pave the way for improved relations between Harry and his royal relatives remains to be seen.
