Charles bends – As Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Archie and Princess Lilibet prepare to visit the UK this summer for events tied to the 2027 Invictus Games countdown, a new report claims King Charles III is stepping in with royal accommodations and security help—while Prince W
Prince Harry has talked for years about wanting his children to understand the country where he grew up. Now. with a long-awaited return to Britain set to finally happen with Meghan Markle. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. the trip isn’t just a family milestone—it’s also stirring fresh tension within the royal family.
A report says King Charles III is “bending over backwards” to help make the Sussexes’ upcoming visit possible. including offering royal accommodations and being willing to help fund security arrangements while the family is in Britain. Safety has long been a major concern for Harry. and the timing of the visit is expected to align with events marking the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. England.
The visit carries extra weight for Meghan, too. It is expected to be her first trip back to Britain in nearly four years. after she last returned to the UK with Harry in September 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral—where they were seen alongside King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Archie and Lili, meanwhile, have not been back since the late queen’s June 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations. That was also reportedly the last time Charles saw his grandkids in person.
Behind the scenes, the push for the trip appears to come from a place of “peace,” but not everyone in the family is on board. Sources close to Prince William say the Prince of Wales sees the situation very differently.
“There are no plans for a meeting between the princes,” Vanity Fair’s report quotes a source as saying. “William won’t be seeing his brother. I suspect he will make sure he’s miles away when Harry visits to avoid any awkward encounters.” The same source also claims Harry has tried to reach William repeatedly without success: “Harry has tried to make contact repeatedly. but William won’t take his calls. He is not minded to a reconciliation at all. and the fact that his father is bending over backwards to make Harry’s visit happen has become the source of deep irritation for William.”.
The friction, the report suggests, is tied to a wider history between William and Harry. Since stepping back as working royals and relocating to California in 2020. Harry and Meghan have accused palace aides of briefing against them and feeding negative stories to the media to protect Prince William and Kate Middleton. In William’s view. Harry crossed a line—first during the 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. and later in Spare. Harry’s 2023 memoir. which included deeply personal and often unflattering details about his relationship with members of the royal family. including William and Kate.
A source tells the magazine that William “cannot forgive his brother for what Harry has put his family through.” Even with palace aides denying any fallout between Charles and William, the report says William has made his position clear to his father: he isn’t interested.
One family friend adds that the two men approach the conflict from different angles. “William is known to hold a grudge, whereas Charles just wants peace. They come to the Harry situation from different perspectives. Charles is of the view that one must forgive and move on. William won’t do that. Not yet and maybe never.”.
Harry’s focus. the report says. is bringing his children back into the fold—on more than one side of the family. Harry and Meghan want Archie and Lili to reconnect with both the royal family and the relatives of Harry’s late mother. Princess Diana. “Harry wants to bring the kids to see his family — not just the Windsors. but the Spencers. too. ” an insider told Vanity Fair. “He wants to spend time with the wider family.”.
The planned visit is also described as a long time coming. “This has been on the cards for some time,” the insider said. “Next year would have been the obvious time. when the Invictus Games take place in Birmingham. but for whatever reason. it is happening this summer.” The insider added that there has been “such sadness that he’s not been able to bring them to the U.K.” and that Harry has been keen—“for some time”—to have the kids come over to Britain.
What makes this return particularly striking is how sharply it contrasts with what Harry publicly said earlier about the security situation. The planned visit marks a change after Harry’s comments about feeling unable to bring his family back following his failed legal battle over security arrangements. After losing his appeal over taxpayer-funded police protection in 2025. Harry told the BBC that he did not feel it was safe to bring Meghan and their children to the UK under existing circumstances.
“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” Harry said in May 2025.
Prince Harry Meghan Markle King Charles III Prince William UK trip Archie Lilibet Invictus Games 2027 Birmingham royal accommodations security arrangements Spare Oprah Winfrey Princess Diana Spencers