Visiting the U.K. isn’t as easy as taking a plane from California to England for Prince Harry. Sure, the travel itself is part of it, but there’s also what has to happen beforehand. The Duke of Sussex, 39, has to follow certain requirements to visit the U.K. Ahead, what three steps Harry must follow before returning to the U.K.
So, what does Harry have to do before visiting the U.K.? According to The Daily Beast, he has to follow the same three steps as any high-profile visitor seeking police protection.
Harry has to provide details about U.K. visits almost a month in advance
So, what does Harry have to do before visiting the U.K.? According to The Daily Beast, he has to follow the same three steps as any high-profile visitor seeking police protection.
First, he has to give British security forces 28 days’ notice. Then, he has to provide a list of locations he plans to visit and a detailed itinerary. He’s allowed to use private security; however, they can’t be armed.
Harry has had to follow these steps since 2020. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) stripped him of his right to automatic police protection after he left royal life and relocated to Montecito, California, with Meghan Markle.
Harry has since taken the matter to court, offering to foot the bill for police protection himself. He lost the legal battle in February 2024 but has plans to appeal. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, reportedly wishes Harry could “let go” of the lawsuit.
While some wonder why King Charles isn’t helping Harry reinstate his security, a palace insider has claimed courtiers like that there are no surprises.
“The whole affair is totally fascinating,” they told The Daily Beast. “I think Harry needs to ask himself why Charles hasn’t overruled RAVEC. Which, for all the insistence that he couldn’t, he could, being the king and all.”
It’s because the last thing the Palace want [sic] is Harry and Meghan turning up unannounced on a regular basis or setting up a rival royal court in the U.K.,” they explained.
“As things stand now, they have to give 28 days notice when they are coming and essentially need to pre-agree with the cops where they are going to be, or might be, at all times.”
That, they said, “suits the Palace.” Meanwhile, a source close to Harry summed it up in three words: “It’s about control.”
He visits the U.K. alone because it’s not safe for Meghan Markle
Harry has to provide details about U.K. visits almost a month in advance
So, what does Harry have to do before visiting the U.K.? According to The Daily Beast, he has to follow the same three steps as any high-profile visitor seeking police protection.
First, he has to give British security forces 28 days’ notice. Then, he has to provide a list of locations he plans to visit and a detailed itinerary. He’s allowed to use private security; however, they can’t be armed.
Harry has had to follow these steps since 2020. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) stripped him of his right to automatic police protection after he left royal life and relocated to Montecito, California, with Meghan Markle.
Harry has since taken the matter to court, offering to foot the bill for police protection himself. He lost the legal battle in February 2024 but has plans to appeal. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, reportedly wishes Harry could “let go” of the lawsuit.
Harry’s current security protocol ‘suits’ the palace
While some wonder why King Charles isn’t helping Harry reinstate his security, a palace insider has claimed courtiers like that there are no surprises.
“The whole affair is totally fascinating,” they told The Daily Beast. “I think Harry needs to ask himself why Charles hasn’t overruled RAVEC. Which, for all the insistence that he couldn’t, he could, being the king and all.”
“It’s because the last thing the Palace want [sic] is Harry and Meghan turning up unannounced on a regular basis or setting up a rival royal court in the U.K.,” they explained.
“As things stand now, they have to give 28 days notice when they are coming and essentially need to pre-agree with the cops where they are going to be, or might be, at all times.”
That, they said, “suits the Palace.” Meanwhile, a source close to Harry summed it up in three words: “It’s about control.”
He visits the U.K. alone because it’s not safe for Meghan Markle
Prince Harry, who must follow three rules before a U.K. visit, with Meghan Markle at the 2024 ESPYs
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P
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Harry and Meghan ‘Won’t Get’ a Royal Relationship After Latest Interview Mentions Oprah ‘Nuclear Bomb’
In ITV’s Tabloids on Trial, Harry opened up about his reluctance to return to the U.K. with Meghan—and presumably their children—because British tabloid coverage of them is “still dangerous.”
“All it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read,” Harry said. “Whether it’s a knife or acid, these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Since leaving royal life in 2020, Harry has visited the U.K. alone on multiple occasions, the most recent being in May 2024 for the Invictus Games anniversary. Meanwhile, Meghan and their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, haven’t been back since 2022.
