Prince Harry Faces Accommodation Dispute with Buckingham Palace Amid U.K. Visit

Prince Harry’s recent visit to the U.K. was marked by confusion over his accommodation arrangements. On Monday, Buckingham Palace contradicted his spokesperson’s statement, denying that Harry would stay at the palace during his trip.

The Duke of Sussex was set to begin a five-day visit to the U.K., traveling without his family, according to a source close to Harry who spoke to the AFP news agency. This follows reports that his police protection in the country had been compromised.

Harry’s spokesperson previously announced that he had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace. However, shortly thereafter, palace officials stated that Harry had missed the deadline to accept the offer of accommodation, which requires a minimum notice period.

A Buckingham Palace representative explained that multiple requests were made for clarification about the accommodation offer, but no formal response was received.

The palace formally declined the offer on Saturday but later accepted it after the deadline had passed.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry offered a different narrative, claiming that the palace withdrew their offer after the duke formally accepted it. They expressed confusion over the withdrawal, stating that they had accepted the accommodation offer.

CBS News attempted to contact Harry’s representatives for further comment but did not receive an immediate response.

This issue adds to a series of complications for Prince Harry, whose visit marks the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham. The games, established by Harry in 2014, honor wounded veterans.

The U.K. trip was initially planned as a family visit with his wife Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet. However, a source close to Harry revealed that the family would not join him in London after being denied royal protection.

The visit coincides with an expected judgment delivery on Tuesday in a lawsuit Harry and other celebrities filed against Associated Newspapers, owner of the Daily Mail, alleging unlawful information gathering.

Prince Harry has only made short visits to the U.K., primarily for charity events and legal proceedings, since he and Meghan left the royal family in 2020 and relocated to North America.