Harry's accommodation rejection in the UK has sparked a much bigger headache for the king. Photos / Getty Images, AP
Harry's accommodation rejection in the UK has sparked a much bigger headache for the king. Photos / Getty Images, AP
The palace is currently looking into options for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s future accommodation after it came to light that Harry had no place to stay during his brief trip to the UK a few weeks ago, reports news.com.au.
Last weekend, it was revealed that Charles’ youngest son asked to stay at one of the royal homes while in London for the WellChild Awards on September 7 but was denied, and subsequently turned down an offer to stay with his father at Balmoral on the anniversary of the Queen’s death.
Prince Harry’s staff reportedly contacted Buckingham Palace a while ago and expressed that he’d love to see his father during his stay, however he was told by royal aides that he needed to file a formal request. It’s not known whether the king knew about the correspondence.
The Duke of Sussex was then invited by King Charles and Queen Camilla to join them at Balmoral, however Harry cited a busy schedule as the reason he rejected the offer, opting to stay in a hotel for the night instead.
The state of affairs between the royals and the Sussexes isn’t just an awkward situation for all involved: the UK’s Sunday Times revealed that the king’s decision to keep his son on as a counsellor of state when the late Queen Elizabeth died has complicated things even more.
In this role, Prince Harry, who is one of seven members of the royal family who is in a position to deputise for King Charles in the event that he is overseas or sick – is required by law to have a base in the UK.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16 in Duesseldorf, Germany. Photo / Getty Images
King Charles made headlines earlier this year when he evicted Harry and his wife Meghan Markle from their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, following the release of the bombshell docu-series and Harry’s autobiography Spare.
“We are really in uncharted waters here: the Prince Harry situation is not something the law easily allows for,” constitutional law expert Dr Craig Prescott shared with The Times.
“The idea of the second son of the king choosing a life away from royal duties is not something the law has thought about, and I can imagine that Buckingham Palace would be concerned by that.
“The king had the chance to remove him with the counsellor of state legislation last year, but chose not to.”
It was reported on Sunday that palace aides are tossing up the possibility of the Sussexes leasing rooms at Kensington Palace during any trips to the UK in the future.
It was reported on Sunday that palace aides are tossing up the possibility of the Sussexes leasing rooms at Kensington Palace. Photo / Getty Images
“The king can see that to remove Harry as a counsellor of state would be seen as an act of antagonism and he does not want to do that,” a palace insider told The Times.
“If, as a consequence of that, somewhere on the royal estate needs to be earmarked as a pied-à-terre for his son, that seems a reasonable thing to do.”
However, Buckingham Palace denied the rumour, informing the publication: “These claims are not true.”
Insiders have suggested that it is more likely that the Montecito-based royals will be offered temporary use of royal properties on an ad hoc basis – but only with formal warning made in advance.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022. Photo / AP
Early next year, the Duke of Sussex is expected to make his next trip back to Britain when his claim against News Group Newspapers on account of alleged unlawful information gathering is set to be heard in court.
The latest news on the royal conundrum comes after King Charles surprised people in November when, instead of removing non-working royals such as Prince Andrew and Prince Harry as counsellor of state, adding his sister, Princess Anne and his youngest brother, Prince Edward.
The counsellor of state position is usually given to the monarch’s partner, followed by the first four people in the line of succession over the age of 21.
It has been speculated that Charles’ decision to keep Harry and Andrew in the loop was an attempt to avoid making tensions even worse for the family.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York at Westminster Abbey during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, in London, England. Photo / Getty Images
It has been reported that King Charles has had minimal contact with Harry over the last few months and the father-son duo haven’t been in the same room together since the king’s coronation.
Prince Harry allegedly asked to stay at one of the royal residences prior to the Invictus Games, however he was told by a senior aide that none of the London or Windsor-based homes were free, seeing as though most of the staff were in Scotland with Charles and Camilla, reports The Sun.
The Duke of Sussex was seen leaving St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle - the final resting place of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth - on the anniversary of her death.
Eight hundred kilometres away, Charles and Camilla held a private reflection at the small Crathie Kirk church in Scotland on September 8.
