Meghan Markle’s next UK return could hinge on a decision by Government officials over Prince Harry’s security arrangements, with the Home Office process still ongoing as the Duke of Sussex plans future visits linked to the Invictus Games.
Prince Harry has long argued that he cannot safely bring his wife and children back to Britain without automatic police protection, after his publicly funded security was withdrawn when he stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
A fresh risk assessment has been underway in recent weeks, but Government sources have stressed that the review has not yet concluded and that no final decision has been made.
Under the current system, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as Ravec, considers protective security for high-profile figures, drawing on advice from police and security officials. A risk management board assessment is expected to feed into that process before any recommendation is made.
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The Home Office has repeatedly maintained that the UK’s protective security arrangements are “rigorous and proportionate” and has said it does not provide detailed information on individual cases.
Prince Harry lost his legal challenge over security arrangements in 2025, after a court upheld the decision-making process that removed his automatic police protection in the UK.
Since then, the duke’s representatives have maintained that the issue is a barrier to family travel, with Prince Harry making a series of solo visits.
The next major potential UK trip on the calendar is tied to the Invictus Games, the international multi-sport event Prince Harry founded in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.
Meghan Markle Birmingham trip to 'rest on Government security decision' ahead of Invictus plans
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Birmingham is scheduled to host the Invictus Games in July 2027, with organisers confirming the event will run from July 10 to July 17 at venues including the National Exhibition Centre.
The closing day coincides with Queen Camilla’s 80th birthday on July 17 2027.
Prince Harry is expected to return to Britain later this year to promote the “one year to go” marker ahead of the Birmingham Games.
That would place a likely visit in 2026, at a point when organisers will be stepping up promotional activity and preparations.
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The Invictus Games will take place in Birmingham in 2027 | GETTYWhether Meghan joins Prince Harry in the UK remains unclear. Meghan has not been back since September 2022, when she attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, while their children Archie and Lilibet have only visited Britain once since the move to California, during the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
The Times said it is not known whether the Sussexes plan to bring Meghan and the children to the Invictus events, but suggested their decision may rest on the outcome of the current security assessment.
A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex has said the couple do not comment on security matters.
While the outcome remains unknown, it is timely for the Sussexes because Prince Harry is expected to make further trips to the UK beyond his next court appearance.
Prince Harry has said he is 'not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec’s own rules' | REUTERSThe duke is due back in Britain later this month for the start of his privacy case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
The High Court trial is listed to begin on January 19 and involves several other claimants, including Sir Elton John and Mr David Furnish, as well as actresses Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost.
Associated Newspapers denies wrongdoing and has previously described the allegations as “lurid” and “simply preposterous”.