A cancer-stricken grandfather hasn’t held his grandchildren since June 2022. A son living on the other side of the ocean can’t bring his family home. A decision next month could change everything—or cement a rupture lasting longer than any in modern royal history.
Britain’s Home Office is conducting its first comprehensive threat assessment of Prince Harry since he stepped down in 2020. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee expects to rule as early as February on whether the Duke gets automatic police protection during UK visits.
Security Decision Looms
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as Ravec, is evaluating whether Prince Harry should automatically receive full police protection during his visits to the UK, potentially ending a five-year security standoff that has kept his children from their grandfather.
King Charles III, now 77, remains in active cancer treatment while watching his grandchildren grow up thousands of miles away.
Cancer-Stricken Monarch
King Charles III, 77, has not seen Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, since June 2022 at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Royal insiders told RadarOnline that the monarch is “acutely aware that their childhoods are passing quickly” and determined not to remain a distant grandfather.
The king’s cancer diagnosis has intensified his focus on family reconciliation.
Harry’s Legal Battle Ended In Defeat
The Duke of Sussex suffered a rare public legal defeat in May 2025 when his High Court challenge against the Home Office’s security decision failed. Prince Harry’s barristers argued he was “singled out for different, unjustified, and inferior treatment” by Ravec, but judges found the committee acted lawfully.
The prince told the BBC after his loss that he couldn’t see bringing his family back under current conditions. It marked the end of a costly courtroom fight that consumed years without resolution.
Most Recent Meeting
Harry’s most recent meeting with his father took place in September 2025, lasting approximately 50 minutes, and highlighted the depth of their estrangement. The duke has traveled to Britain multiple times since relocating to California, leaving his wife and children in Montecito.
Sources described the meeting at Clarence House as a private visit—a significant contact after months of limited communication.
Security Review Could Cost Taxpayers Millions Annually
If Ravec approves reinstating armed protection for Harry’s visits, the annual cost could reach $2-3 million based on typical royal security expenditures. The committee comprises representatives from the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police, and the Royal Household, who advise an independent chair on protection decisions.
Government sources emphasized that the system is “rigorous and proportionate,” although critics question why a comprehensive reassessment is happening now, after years of denials.
Harry Wrote Directly To Home Secretary
The review was triggered when Harry wrote privately to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood requesting a full reassessment of his security arrangements, according to The Guardian. This direct appeal marked a shift in strategy after his courtroom losses.
Evidence from police, government departments, and Harry’s own team is being collated for Ravec’s risk management board.
Children Caught Between Two Parents
Sources report Harry is pushing for UK access and education opportunities for his children, a position that reportedly creates tension with Meghan Markle. The Duchess has cited security concerns as a primary reason for keeping the children in America, but if those concerns are resolved, she may lose that justification.
Royal watchers note the couple’s differing visions for their children’s upbringing could strain their marriage considerably.
King’s Health Crisis
King Charles’s cancer treatment has made the absence of his grandchildren feel more urgent. An insider told RadarOnline that “formalities, rank, and old family disputes have taken on far less importance, eclipsed by the emotional reality that he barely knows his youngest grandchildren and may be running out of time.”
The monarch remains in treatment while pressure mounts to resolve the security impasse. Mortality has a way of reshuffling priorities that years of pride could not accomplish.
Royal Household Interfered In Security Decision
In a BBC interview following his court defeat, Harry stated there was “interference” by the Royal Household in the 2020 security downgrade. He claimed this caused him to suddenly change from being the most at-risk royal to the least threatened “overnight.”
The duke’s legal team argued that his military service heightened his risks and that he received different treatment compared to other VIPs, although the courts found no evidence of bias.
Ravec’s Case-By-Case Approach
Since 2020, Harry’s security has been evaluated on a case-by-case basis, meaning he must request protection for each visit to the UK. His team argued that this arrangement is excessively rigid and fails to account for spontaneous threats.
The first test occurred at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, when Harry was offered personal protective security outside Ravec framework but deemed it insufficient given the risks he faced. The unpredictability has left Harry unable to plan family visits with any confidence.
Aggressive Paparazzi Pursuit
In May 2023, Harry was aggressively pursued by paparazzi in New York following a charity event, raising security concerns. His security adviser highlighted the role of photographers in Princess Diana’s death, convincing Harry that his family’s safety remained compromised. The duke’s legal team presented death threats from terrorist organizations including al-Qaeda as evidence of ongoing risk. The specter of his mother’s fate haunts every decision he makes about his children’s safety.
King’s Longest Grandparent Separation
The 3.5-year gap represents the longest period in King Charles’s reign without seeing his grandchildren, marking an unprecedented rupture in the royal family. Sources told the Mirror that Charles “relishes” his role as grandfather and finds the separation particularly painful during holidays.
Sources have noted that the king “remembers his own somewhat fragmented childhood” and doesn’t want history to repeat for Archie and Lilibet.
Meghan’s California Resistance
While Harry pushes for UK access, Meghan Markle’s reluctance to return to Britain remains a significant barrier. The Duchess has maintained that security concerns justify keeping the children in California, but if Ravec reinstates protection, that rationale disappears. Royal commentators suggest this could expose deeper disagreements about the children’s cultural identity and exposure to royal life. The security issue may have masked a far more fundamental divide about family values and future.
Harry’s Statement
The duke’s candid admission that he “can’t see a world in which I will be bringing my wife and children back at this point” came during his BBC interview after the court defeat. This statement, delivered in 2025, underscores how security concerns have become the primary barrier to family reconciliation.
Harry’s words suggest that without guaranteed protection, the risk of returning outweighs the benefits of grandparental bonds.
Review Process Remains Shrouded In Secrecy
Government sources caution that despite reports of positive outcomes, the evaluation remains incomplete. One insider told GB News, “I have no idea what the risk management board recommendation to Ravec will be, but what I do know with certainty is that neither does anyone else, since they are still undertaking the review.”
The outcome of the decision cannot be predicted, despite media speculation. The secrecy surrounding the process continues as both sides await the committee’s final determination.
Potential First UK Visit For Children Since 2022
If security is reinstated, Archie and Lilibet could return to Britain for the first time since the Platinum Jubilee, when Lilibet was just one year old. The children would now experience the UK as conscious participants rather than infants.
Royal sources suggest Balmoral or Sandringham could host a family reunion if reconciliation trends continue, giving the king precious time with his grandchildren.
Marriage Under Strain As Visions Diverge
Relationship experts note that couples face a crisis when parenting philosophies diverge under external pressure. Harry’s apparent desire for greater UK access may conflict with Meghan’s vision of a stable California upbringing.
The security issue has provided a convenient barrier, but its removal could force the couple to confront fundamental differences about their children’s relationship with the royal family.
Harry’s Regret Over Past Actions Emerges
Sources close to the duke suggest that he regrets some of his public criticisms of the royal family. An insider told the Daily Mail that Harry wants to “reset his relationship with his family and with the people of the UK,” calling recent negotiations an “important first step towards rebuilding their father-and-son relationship.”
While Harry may never live in Britain again, security resolution could allow them to become a “functioning wider family again.”
Royal Family’s Future
Ravec’s ruling will determine whether Harry can safely bring his family to Britain, potentially ending the longest separation of a grandparent and grandchild in modern royal history. Success would validate Harry’s years of legal battles and provide King Charles with precious time with his grandchildren.
Failure would cement the transatlantic divide and potentially force Harry to choose between his children’s safety and their grandfather’s dying wish for family unity. Everything converges in the weeks ahead.
Sources
Prince Harry’s Bid To Split Kids’ Lives Between 2 Continents Ignites Marriage Meltdown Fears
RadarOnline — King Charles emotional wish for Archie, Lilibet revealed (December 28, 2025)
The Guardian — Harry wrote directly to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood requesting security reassessment (January 2026)
BBC News — Prince Harry’s High Court security challenge defeat and subsequent interview (May 2025)
GB News — Prince Harry security review remains unfinished; government sources on uncertainty (January 8, 2026)
The Daily Mail — Harry regret over past actions and reset relationship efforts (January 2026)
The Mirror — King Charles separation pain and holiday impact (December 2025)