Why Prince Harry Turned Down a Meeting With King Charles and Royal Residence Stay

There's more to this royal drama than meets the eye.

Prince Harry's recent visit back home has caused quite a stir. A previous update stated that his father, King Charles, did not have time for him amid his busy schedule following a return to royal duties. But now, royal sources are saying Harry actually refused to see Charles due to specific requirements that weren't met.

Related: Prince Harry Confirmed That He Will Not See King Charles During His U.K. Visit

Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Prince Harry told People on May 7, "In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week, it, unfortunately, will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program. The Duke, of course, is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon."

A new piece by royal reporter Rebecca English tells a different story. Writing for The Daily Mail via The Telegraph, the royal reporter said that Harry “is said to have declined his father’s offer [to stay in a royal property] because it did not come with any taxpayer-funded personal security provision, which would leave him staying in a ‘visible location with public entrance and exit points and no police protection.’”

"Instead, he chose to stay at a hotel—presumably with members of the public—because it meant he 'could come and go unseen,'" English wrote.

Harry's frustration at a lack of security detail is due to his battle with the Home Office, which requires him to give the Metropolitan Police 28 days' notice to request a security detail before coming to the U.K. Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, lost their automatic right to security protection after they stepped back from their senior royal duties in January 2020, with the motion going into effect the following month in February 2020.

As for where Charles offered for Harry to stay, English explained that a room at St James' Palace was "a strong possibility." She noted that "Princess Beatrice has a permanent apartment there, while Princess Anne has a suite of rooms—and a parking place—she uses when staying in London," adding that "other members of the Royal Family use it on an ad hoc basis ... it is situated directly adjacent to Clarence House where the King stays when in London" and that it's "guarded round-the-clock by a 'ring of steel.'"

Harry and Charles have yet to cross paths in recent months. The last time the pair had a meeting was when Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis to the world. Harry hopped on a quick flight to see him and left Markle and their two children behind for the trip.

As for the claims of Charles being too busy to see Harry, English writes, "It has since become clear that, while His Majesty did indeed have a packed program of engagements that week, the King had made conciliatory overtures that would have enabled him to see his son.”

A meeting will have to wait until the next time Harry is back in the U.K., but until then, he and Charles will remain like passing ships in the night. The Telegraph summed it up, writing, “Had the invitation [for Harry to stay at the royal residence] been accepted, it may have provided an opportunity to spend some time together outside of their hectic schedules.”

For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on InStyle.