“Disgraceful!”: Prince Harry slammed for ‘shameful’ move as Duke begins UK visit
Prince Harry’s imminent UK trip sparks media buzz
Prince Harry was criticised by fans over the chaos of the past 48 hours regarding his visit and stay in the UK. The Duke of Sussex arrived in the UK on Monday. King Charles’s son initially declined an invitation to stay at a royal residence on Saturday but then made a U-turn and requested to stay for just one night at Buckingham Palace, only to be told he had accepted the King’s offer too late.
He was also told his presence could compromise his father’s constitutional position, with judgment due in the duke’s High Court case against Associated Newspapers on Tuesday. The latest drama involving the Duke has enraged some fans, who say it overshadows the real reason for Harry’s visit: to promote the Invictus Games and its veterans.
Prince Harry has enraged fans (Image: Getty)
One user wrote on X: “The fact that Harry has been allowed to weaponise Invictus Games and veterans is shameful.
“[If] Harry is travelling to Britain (or anywhere else) to attend Invictus functions, and is not competent enough to manage his own accommodation and security arrangements in a courteous and professional manner, then someone else should take over and do it for him.
“Someone else should be in charge of scheduling and correspondence. This mess is not just a reflection of Harry himself, but also the Invictus Games.”
Another user agreed, saying: “It’s disgraceful that the charities’ guiding boards allow them to be co-opted and dragged into this farce. Shame on Invictus. Shame on WellChild. Shame on Scotty’s Little Soldiers. You need to protect the people who claim to be dedicated to it instead of dedicating your organisation to Harry’s ego and PR.”
A third one blasted: “It’s now an unprofessional mess.”
The Duke’s spokesman earlier said it was “disappointing” that the offer from King Charles had been “withdrawn at the last moment”, with the legal fight given as the reason.
Questions have been raised on the Sussex side as to whether the offer of a bed at a royal residence was ever intended to be available once Harry had accepted it.
The duke is believed to have arrived in London alone, without the Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, after they pulled out of a visit to the capital due to security concerns.
Harry and his team are understood to be frustrated that the reasons given for withdrawing the offer shifted from not accepting the accommodation to the forthcoming Associated Newspapers legal judgment.
Charles’s son and a group of other household names, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, are expected to find out on Tuesday whether they have won their High Court cases against the Daily Mail’s publisher over allegations of voicemail interception, landline tapping and obtaining information by deception, which Associated Newspapers denies.
