Prince Harry Turns Down Offer From King Charles, Report Says

Prince Harry stayed at a hotel during his most recent visit to the U.K., but insiders said the king offered him a place at a royal residence.

By Michael Hein

Prince Harry's visit to the U.K. confused a lot of fans last month when his scheduled meeting with King Charles III was canceled at the last minute, and the prince moved on quietly. The prince didn't even stay at a royal residence, but a report by The Sunday Times said that he was actually offered a spot. The prince chose to stay at a hotel instead of taking his father up on the offer.

Prince Harry no longer has a dedicated home in the U.K. ever since the royal family reclaimed Frogmore Cottage, where he once lived with his wife Meghan Markle. Still, there's plenty of space on royal property, so fans were confused when he stayed a hotel during his visit to London last month. According to the Times' royal editor Roya Nikkha, the king offered to lend his son a place to stay for the night, but Prince Harry declined. He moved on the next day for his trip to Nigeria.

Prince Harry visited the U.K. for the first time in months for a celebration of the 10th anniversary of The Invictus Games. The event was held in the afternoon at St. Paul's Cathedral – just two miles away from Buckingham Palace where the king was hosting the annual garden party at the same time. The two were scheduled for a private meeting when both events ended at 6 p.m., but an official royal spokesperson announced that it had to be canceled due to the king's busy schedule.

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"In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty's full program," they said. "The Duke of course is understanding of his father's diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon."

News outlets got different explanations, though mostly from anonymous sources. Royal expert Charlotte Griffiths told The Post: "I think the reason was because Harry made certain demands about who could be in the room and who couldn't. Although on the surface it looks like a snub, Harry made it very difficult for his father. Maybe other forces were driving Charles' position on this. William may have had a thought about how this meeting should be conducted or whether it should be conducted at all."

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