Prince Harry has arrived in Britain ahead of attending a 10th anniversary service on Wednesday to celebrate the Invictus Games in London.
"Prince Harry is in the UK," ITV News royal editor Chris Ship wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. "He landed here ahead of his St Paul's Cathedral service tomorrow to mark 10 years of the @WeAreInvictus which he founded in 2014. He's doing some Invictus related events today."
The prince's wife, Meghan Markle, remained in California with the couple's two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The trip marks Harry's first visit to Britain since February, when he spent time with King Charles following his cancer diagnosis.
The king is expected to host a Buckingham Palace garden party in London on Wednesday, health permitting, raising hopes that father and son may meet.
The Context
Harry arrived in Britain for a working visit in which he'll attend the special 10th anniversary Invictus Games service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's.
The games are the prince's most important project. In 2014, he co-founded them as a platform for wounded, sick and injured veterans to showcase their mental and physical rehabilitation on the world stage through sport.
The next games will be held in Canada in 2025. The Invictus Games Foundation is deciding the location for the 2027 games. Both Washington, D.C., in the U.S. and Birmingham in England have put forward bids to be the host city.
What We Know
So far, the anniversary service at St. Paul's is the only public event confirmed as part of Harry's U.K. itinerary. ITV reported that the prince will take part in connected events on Tuesday.
Newsweek reached out by email to Harry's representatives for comment.
Views
Harry's visit does not include his wife, who was last in London in September 2022 to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth.
The couple last attended a service at St. Paul's earlier the same year, in June, to celebrate Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. The visit was both positive and negative for the couple, Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston, previously told The Royal Report podcast.
"The last time Meghan went there, Meghan and Harry were booed by royalists," he said. "That was during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. There were cheers as well, but there were certainly boos, and that was during a similar service of Thanksgiving."
No official reason for Meghan's absence has been given. It has been confirmed that the duchess will join Harry for a visit to Nigeria later this month.
What's Next?
The Invictus Games' 10th anniversary service on Wednesday at St. Paul's will include guests who form part of the games' veterans community as well as high-profile figures such as actor Damian Lewis, who will recite the Invictus poem by William Henley.
It has not been confirmed whether any members of the royal family in addition to Harry will attend the event. Nor has it been confirmed whether Harry will spend time with his father during his visit to Britain.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
