Prince Harry “refused the King’s offer” to stay at a royal residence in the UK because the locations are “too visible”, sources have claimed.
It is understood the Duke of Sussex turned down an invitation from his father to stay at a royal residence earlier this month because of security concerns.
King Charles’s offer did not come with any taxpayer-funded personal security provision, which would have left the duke in a “visible location with public entrance and exit points and no police protection”.
Instead, Prince Harry chose to stay at a hotel because it meant he “could come and go unseen”.
King Charles and Prince Harry did not meet during the duke’s recent trip
Getty
The Telegraph added that the Duke of Sussex “remains devastated” about the withdrawal of his automatic right to police protection.
He now has to give the Metropolitan Police 28 days’ notice before coming to the UK if he wants to apply for security provision, with each request assessed on an individual basis by Ravec, the committee which oversees the protection of royalty and public figures.
It has not been revealed where the King offered Harry a room, however, St James’s Palace is a strong possibility.
Princess Beatrice has a permanent apartment there, while Princess Anne has a suite of rooms and a parking place that she uses when staying in London.
Prince Harry attended a service at St Paul’s Cathedral
PA
Other members of the Royal Family use the royal palace on an ad hoc basis.
The property is directly adjacent to Clarence House where King Charles, 75, stays when in London, so it would have been perfect for the father and son duo to meet.
All royal residences feature armed guards at entry and exit points, unlike any London hotel, and boast the most sophisticated security systems in the country to protect working members of the family.
Buckingham Palace has not commented on the reported row between Prince Harry and his father.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were attending a garden party on the same day as Harry’s service
PA
Meghan and Harry watching a charity polo match in NigeriaReuters
But a spokesman for the duke chose to issue a statement when he came to London at the beginning of May for a service to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
It strongly suggested that Harry was keen to meet his father, but the King was “too busy” to see him.
Prince Harry spent three nights in London without seeing any family members before flying to Nigeria for a quasi-royal tour.
GB News has approached Buckingham Palace and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s UK spokesperson for comment.