Prince Harry shared he was worried that returning to the UK would put his wife Meghan Markle and their two children at risk.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the move to California back in 2020 where they have been residing ever since with very few visits back to England.
The only time the couple, as well as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have travelled to the UK since then was for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in the summer of 2022.
Prince Harry also flew back for his father King Charles’ coronation but that was without his loved ones by his side.
This is because the former senior royal is worried for his family’s safety while in the UK and has continued to fight for police protection.
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The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) removed Prince Harry’s automatic right to police detail in February 2020.
He released a statement about the impact of the lack of security as part of a hearing to have this decision overturned.
Prince Harry said: “It was with great sadness to both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020.
“The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the United States.”
“That cannot happen if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.
“I can’t put my wife in danger like that, and given my experiences in life, I’m reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”
The Duke of Sussex didn’t appear in court during the three-day hearing in London but has previously offered to pay for the security himself.
However, this idea was turned down by the High Court in May with his attorneys continuing to argue the “impact” an act on Prince Harry would have.
Even after considering the potential consequences, especially heightened by the tragic death of his mum Princess Diana, RAVEC still hasn’t agreed to security.
The Home Office determined Harry and his family’s security should be made on a case-by-case basis as “he would no longer be a working member of the Royal Family and would be living abroad for the majority of the time”.
So, for now at least, it appears Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children won’t be regularly visiting or moving back to the UK in the near future.
