Prince Harry, who is now on a tour of Colombia, chose to check into a hotel during his last visit to London, despite his father King Charles inviting him to stay at Buckingham Palace

Prince Harry, who has now kickstarted his Colombia tour, was reportedly invited to stay at Buckingham Palace during his last visit to the UK, but opted for the comfort of a hotel room instead.

His father, King Charles III, extended the invite ahead of Harry’s May visit to London, where the prince spoke at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games – his sporting competition for injured servicemen and women. Harry did not meet with his father or his brother Prince William during his flying visit to his homeland, despite both senior Royals having reportedly been invited to attend the St Paul’s Cathedral ceremony on May 8.

As Harry waved at crowds gathered outside the historic cathedral, King Charles instead was hosting a Buckingham Palace garden party, a mere two miles away. Familial tensions have of course been fraught in the House of Windsor for some time, with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s decision to step back from their positions as working royals creating a deep divide.

Harry has only returned to British soil a handful of times since the 2020 drama of ‘Megxit’, amid security fears, and each time fans have hoped the family will finally put their differences aside. Although the rift currently shows no sign of healing anytime soon, it would appear that Charles extended a warmer welcome than expected during Harry’s last visit, by offering him the use of apartments at Buckingham Palace – the most prestigious of all royal properties.

His father King Charles offered him rooms at Buckingham Palace ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

It was previously understood that Charles, 75, had offered accommodation to his ‘darling boy’, but the location wasn’t known. A source told The Times: “I don’t know what more the King could have done. He offered Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace but that it seems even that wasn’t good enough. It was far from clear what the duke’s plans were. When it came to it there was no space in the King’s diary in between treatment and other scheduled events.”

The publication reports that Charles, who was staying at the nearby Clarence House at the time, suggested Buckingham Palace so that he and his son could have the rare opportunity to meet. Instead, Harry opted for a hotel in London, and sadly the King’s ‘full programme’ of commitments meant they never caught up in person.

In a statement made at the time, Harry’s spokesperson revealed: “In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme. The duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities, and hopes to see him soon.”

A source with knowledge of the declined offer told The Times: “It makes Harry’s decision to stay in a hotel all the more strange when the Palace would naturally offer all the security you could wish for. It would also have made more sense from a point of view of seeing his father as it would be easier for the King to see his son if they were staying nearby.”

Back in May, The Telegraph reported that Harry, 39, had turned down the offer of staying in a then-undisclosed royal residence as it came with no security provision, meaning he would have been staying without police protection, at a visible location with public entrance and exit points. His decision to stay in a hotel meant he could come and go without being seen.

This comes amid ongoing concerns on Harry’s part about his safety in the UK after the Home Office downgraded his entitlement after he and Meghan rescinded their HRH titles. The prince’s team now has to give 28 days’ notice before his arrival in the country, which means his brief visits are restricted to special occasions or public events planned in plenty of time.