Meghan and children to skip London trip with Prince Harry, report says

Meghan Markle and the couple’s two children were not expected to travel to London with Prince Harry, leaving only the possibility of a separate stop elsewhere in Britain as his July 7 to July 11 trip unfolded. The absence of Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, stripped out the prospect of a full-family appearance during a visit built around Invictus-related events in London and Birmingham.

Harry’s schedule was tied to the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, with additional charity visits planned for WellChild, Scotty’s Little Soldiers and Birmingham Children’s Hospital. That itinerary had raised interest because it could have produced a rare in-person meeting with King Charles III, the children’s grandfather, whose last reported face-to-face visit with Archie and Lilibet came during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

Security remained the central obstacle. Harry lost a legal challenge over his UK protection after stepping back as a working royal in 2020, and he has said it was “impossible” to bring Meghan and the children back to Britain safely without proper security. His spokesman said he was still exploring every available option to make the visit proceed safely.

Confusion also surrounded Harry’s accommodation. Buckingham Palace denied reports that he would stay there after his team said he had accepted the offer, adding another layer of uncertainty around a trip already shadowed by security questions and the couple’s continuing separation from royal life.

The family split on this visit came against the backdrop of Harry’s strained relationship with the royal household and his repeated public calls for reconciliation, including in a BBC interview in 2025. Meghan’s possible absence on any private trip, and the uncertainty over whether Archie and Lilibet might later appear in Birmingham or elsewhere in Britain, left the public schedule focused squarely on Harry alone.