The Sussex family is vacationing ‘in Europe’ & they still plan to visit the UK

On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s office confirmed that they will visit the UK and they will bring the kids. Their office put the Sussexes’ work front and center, confirming a number of events which Harry and Meghan will attend. They also made a point of saying that the children will not attend any public events. Twenty-four hours after that Friday briefing, the Telegraph and the Sun got very weird updates. “Sources” claimed that there was a huge controversy with the security around the trip and now Harry has doubts about bringing Meghan and the kids. Here are the basics, from the Telegraph:

The Duke of Sussex is reconsidering bringing his wife and children to Britain after learning they will not receive police protection, The Telegraph understands. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had intended to be in Britain for five days of events relating to his Invictus Games and charity patronages in early July, and planned to bring Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with them. Details of the trip were announced on Friday evening.

Shortly afterwards, The Telegraph understands, the Duke was informed that his application for a security package for the visit had been denied. The family will not receive taxpayer-funded protection while in the UK, other than when they are within royal residences. The Duke received an invitation from the King for his family to spend part of the trip in a royal property, which The Telegraph is not naming for security reasons.

A source close to the Duke and Duchess has accused the Home Office and the committee responsible for assessing their security of “wilfully creating conditions that are making it nearly impossible” for them to move around Britain.

While the Duke himself was “generally pretty robust” about handling security issues, the source said, there was concern about the effect on the children should anything go awry. The Duke had been waiting for the result of a review by the risk management board, part of the process by which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) rules on his security requirements. He had been told the assessment would take place in March. However, he was told last week that it had not taken place and that all such assessments had been “paused”, a source said.

He is currently asked to provide 28 days’ notice of his plans to visit Britain, with taxpayer-funded security decided on a case-by-case basis. Individual police forces can independently provide their own police for events, particularly if there is additional risk to the public. The Sussexes also travel with their own private protection officers. The Duke is described as “desperate” for Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, to see their grandfather, the King.

A source close to the Sussexes told The Telegraph: “The precarious security situation and endless speculation about where the family will stay is making the planning and logistics for the private security team increasingly difficult… The Home Office and the Ravec board are wilfully creating conditions that are making it nearly impossible to move the family from A to B. There have been three separate incidents in the UK in less than 12 months that we know of, each involving a fixated person getting to within feet of the Duke. In some circumstances, because of the limitations on what private security have the authority to do, they weren’t able to remove the person. Harry is a big guy, a former soldier and generally pretty robust when it comes to handling these incidents. It’s what impact such moments would have on the kids that everyone is most concerned about.”

[From The Telegraph]

All of the talk about Ravec and what they are doing or not doing… my first instinct was “that doesn’t sound like it’s coming from Harry.” If RAVEC was or is playing fast and loose, Harry’s first stop wouldn’t be an off-the-record briefing to the Telegraph. He would jump in front of the BBC’s cameras. So where did this story come from? Who are these “sources” really? Because it sounds more like someone else is going out of his way to disrupt the UK visit. Gee, I wonder who?? So, about twelve hours after all of this went down, People Magazine got an actual update from Team Sussex. Apparently, Harry, Meghan and the children are already on vacation “in Europe,” and their team’s Friday briefing still holds.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently vacationing in Europe with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, PEOPLE understands, ahead of the family’s planned trip to the U.K. next month.

The family getaway comes after the Duke, 41, and Duchess of Sussex, 44, confirmed on Friday, June 26, that they intend to travel to Britain with their children in July for a series of engagements surrounding the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.

While Harry and Meghan have planned public appearances, Archie and Lilibet are not expected to attend any public engagements.

On Saturday, The Telegraph reported that Harry is reconsidering the visit after learning that his request for taxpayer-funded police protection has been denied. PEOPLE understands, however, that the details shared by the Sussexes on Friday remain unchanged.

[From People]

Shenanigans are afoot, right? Not within Team Sussex. I strongly suspect that a certain bald demon is calling in favors and his courtiers are positioning themselves as “sources close to the Sussexes” as a way to throw the Sussex operation off-message and literally put the Sussexes in danger. Don’t forget the British press cartel’s place in all of this drama as well. Anyway, I wonder where the Sussex fam is vacationing? Maybe they’re staying at their luxury beach villa in Portugal!!

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.