:strip_icc()/i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_e7c91519bbbb4fadb4e509085746275d/internal_photos/bs/2024/M/B/CyyGpiSmSlqrJneZJA7Q/gettyimages-1678176907a.jpg "Prince Harry to return to UK without Meghan Markle and her children after losing special protection | news")
There is already a possible date for Prince Harry's (at least temporary) return to the UK. The Duke of Sussex is expected to attend a special service at St Paul's Cathedral on May 8. However, the existence of his wife Meghan Markle and the couple's children hinges on a “major shift” in the authorities' stance on the family's safety.
The event aims to celebrate 10 years of the Invictus Games. The games were founded by Harry to provide sports competition for disabled men and women who served in the military. The first edition was held in London in 2014.
Markle is a staunch supporter of the Invictus Games and accompanied her husband on a trip to Canada earlier this year to promote the Games. The next edition will be held in Vancouver and Whistler in 2025.
According to The Telegraph, the Duchess of Sussex and her children, along with Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will only travel to the UK if the family's safety is guaranteed by the government.
Harry's worries have increased since suffering a fresh legal setback over the affair. In February, the court rejected the prince's appeal against a decision to reduce the level of his personal security in the country in 2020.
During the appeal, the Duke of Sussex compared his situation to that of his mother, Princess Diana, who suffered severe harassment from the press.
“It's a position that no one would have tried to put my mother in 23 years ago – even today, with the added risk, with the added layers of racism and extremism, it's comfortable for someone to take revenge for what might happen,” she said. According to documents released after the case closed, Markle and her children were cited as reasons for her appeal.
After Harry and members of his family moved to America in 2020 and removed themselves from their royal duties, British officials understood that he was no longer in the group of people who needed special protection. However, government-provided protection may still be due to the Sussexes after a “case-by-case” assessment.
