Meghan Markle and Children Cancel London Trip with Prince Harry | Vanity Fair

Hopes that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would reunite with other members of the royal family in London were dashed Saturday, after security concerns prompted the Duchess of Sussex to change her travel plans, as well as those for children Archie and Lilibet.

Harry and Meghan's long-planned trip to the United Kingdom was expected to be their first family visit with King Charles III on British soil since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. But mounting concerns over his family's safety and security have sent the California-based prince into a spiral of worry, sources close to the Sussexes told Vanity Fair.

Harry “had assumed that because he was bringing the kids, and the king had made a royal residence available to them, he would get what he has been pushing for all along—full-time police protection.” the source said. But 'That has not been the case…The king has made it clear that while he wants to see his estranged son and grandchildren, he will not intervene in security matters.” And British policy remains firm: Official protection is guaranteed only to active members of the British royal family—a status that both Harry and Meghan walked away from several years ago.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose for a photo with their newborn baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on May 8, 2019.

After days of back-and-forth, news outlets reported Saturday that Meghan Markle, Archie, and Lilibet have canceled their plans to accompany Harry to London after a request for police protection for the family was denied. It is currently unclear if the rest of the Sussexes will travel to England at all—the family had originally planned a five-day excursion around the country—with The Independent reporting “no decision has been made.”

The change of plans forces Harry to handle his engagements in London on his own, including his scheduled visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Nevertheless, it is not entirely ruled out that Meghan and the children might join him midweek in Birmingham—where the Invictus Games will be held in 2027—provided the Sussexes’ private security team deems the travel arrangements feasible. If this last-minute trip is confirmed, the Duchess of Sussex could make a public appearance at the National Exhibition Centre, but without the prior stop in London. The anticipated visit with Archie and Lilibet to King Charles III appears to be off the table, at least in the capital city.

For Harry, the safety of his family in England has become a significant source of tension. In 2025, he told the BBC that he couldn't “see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” citing concerns for their security. The tragic shadow of his mother’s fate continues to weigh on his decisions; in fact, among the family plans that might still be on the table should Meghan and her children ultimately travel to the United Kingdom is a trip to Althorp so the children can visit their grandmother’s grave.

Originally published by Vanity Fair Spain

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