Prince Harry will not be joined by wife and children on London visit

Prince Harry's wife, Meghan, and their two children will not travel to London with him next week.

His spokesperson confirmed the news, adding that a visit elsewhere in Britain has not been ruled out.

The Duke is due in London and Birmingham next week for a series of charity engagements and events promoting the 2027 Invictus Games.

The Duchess, plus Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, were expected to travel with the prince, but his spokesperson announced on Saturday local time that they had dropped plans to travel to London.

The Telegraph newspaper reported the decision was taken after a request for police protection was denied.

The spokesperson added, however, that the family had not ruled out travelling elsewhere in Britain, including to Birmingham, where Harry is due to promote the 2027 Invictus Games.

Harry has repeatedly expressed a desire to bring his children to Britain, but has been thwarted by concerns about his young family's security.

"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," his spokesperson shared earlier this week.

Last year, Prince Harry lost a legal challenge against a government decision to remove the automatic police protection afforded to him after he stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the US.

The planned visit had raised the prospect of a rare meeting between his children and their grandfather, King Charles.