Prince Harry has been criticised by a royal author over what he described as 'contradictions' in the briefings surrounding the Duke of Sussex's upcoming visit to the United Kingdom. Harry is scheduled to return next week for a five-day trip marking the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham, but his security arrangements remain unresolved, casting doubt on whether his family will accompany him.
Royal Author Highlights Conflicting Narratives
Royal author Robert Jobson told Newsweek: 'Every time Harry comes to town, the briefings contradict each other. One voice calls it a peace mission. Another calls it a trap. They cannot all be true. That noise is the sound of a divided crown.' Jobson acknowledged that Harry's motives appear genuine, stating: 'Harry's heart was in the right place. He wanted to bring his children to get to know their grandfather; now they are old enough to remember it.'
Jobson also referenced King Charles's earlier advice to Harry before he stepped back from royal duties, saying: 'King Charles asked him, long before he left, whether he had thought it through. Harry believed protection would follow as a matter of course. It did not. The obstacles in his path now flow from the deal he chose in 2020.'
Security Review Delays Complicate Visit
The Duke of Sussex had been awaiting a review by the Risk Management Board (RMB), part of the process by which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) rules on his security requirements. However, on Friday he learned that the review had not yet taken place. A spokesman for the duke said: 'The duke continues to explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the UK.'
The spokesman added: 'Prince Harry’s programme in the United Kingdom includes both public and private engagements across the country. Safe accommodation is only one element of an effective protective security plan because risk follows the person, not the place. The issue has never been accommodation. The issue is whether appropriate and proportionate protective security is being provided throughout the entirety of the visit. The independent Risk Management Board that Ravec itself decided was necessary last November has still not taken place. It is therefore difficult to understand how the proportionality of the current arrangements can credibly be maintained without that independent assessment.'
Behind-the-Scenes Efforts for Safe Visit
It is understood that Harry and his security team are working behind the scenes to ensure the visit can proceed safely. The duke's trip is intended to mark the countdown to the Invictus Games, but uncertainty remains over whether his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will join him. The security row has been ongoing since Harry stepped back from royal duties in 2020, and this latest development highlights the continued challenges in his relationship with UK authorities.
