Prince Harry is hoping for a sense of security before bringing any his family — Meghan Markle and their two kids Prince Archie and Princess Lillibet — back to the U.K. for visits.
“He wants to ensure the safety of himself and his family while in the U.K. so his children can know his home country and so he can help support his patronages and their important work,” a friend close to the situation tells Us Weekly on Monday, January 27.
Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, separated themselves from the royal family in 2020 and moved to the United States. While they have both returned to the U.K. on various occasions, but their children haven’t traveled overseas since 2022. (The Duke and Duchess of Sussex share son Archie, 5, and daughter Lilibet, 3.)
In April 2025, Harry is set to appeal a High Court judgement that upheld a 2020 decision to remove publicly funded security for him and his family.
Prince Harry’s Many Legal Cases Explained: Phone Hacking and More
This week’s HELLO! Magazine cover story claims that a successful appeal on the security ruling could assist in forging a better relationship between Harry and his father, King Charles III. It would also allow the duke to bring his children back to the U.K. more frequently.
The publication reported on Monday that this case is “fundamentally important” to the future of Harry and his family.
This is hardly Harry’s only legal battle, however.
Earlier this month, it was widely reported that Harry was set to take the stand in a trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN), which owns U.K.’s The Sun, after he accused the media company of unlawful information gathering. However, Harry reached a settlement with the media company on January 22.
A statement from NGN revealed that they paid Harry “substantial damages” and apologized for the “serious intrusion” into his personal life. (The company’s now-defunct News of the World previously admitted to phone hacking.)
“NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun,” the statement, shared with Us read, in part.
Everything to Know About Prince Harry’s Fight for Security in the U.K.
Harry called it a “monumental victory” in a statement last week. “Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived.”
Previously, Harry went up against separate U.K. media company Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which owns the Daily Mail. He took the stand in June 2023 as the first royal family member to do so in 130 years. Court documents obtained by Us in December of that year showed that the court ruled in Harry’s favor.
A judge at the time ruled that there was “sufficient proof” that MGN “engaged in unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking,” making this a milestone win for Harry.
