Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly put a pause on their search for a permanent UK home due to security concerns.
After quitting their role as working members of the royal family in 2020 and relocating to the US, the couple’s tax-payer-funded security protection was pulled, leading to the Duke of Sussex going to court to try to get it reinstated.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams recently claimed that Prince Harry regrets his decision to leave the royal family after he and Meghan Markle missed out on this year’s Trooping the Colour ceremony.
Harry, in particular, was understood to be keen to secure a home amid reports that he misses his old life and friends and also seeks to reunite with his family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have now suspended their search for a permanent UK residence due to safety concerns for their family as they continue to resolve their security issues with the Home Office.
A source told the Express that the father-of-two “really does want to spend more time in the UK but doesn’t feel comfortable doing that until the security issues have been ironed out.”
“He and Meghan planned on looking for a part-time home near Windsor this year and hoped that the appeals process would be heard before the end of July so that they could properly start their search. However, the court process seems to be taking its time,” the source added.
After being evicted from Frogmore Cottage in 2023, the couple has not had a place to stay, and Harry has checked into hotels on his few trips to the UK.
Like other senior royals, Harry and Meghan received taxpayer-funded security protection when they were working members of the royal family, but the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) downgraded their police protection after they resigned from their duty.
The duke then sued the Home Office in 2020 but was dealt a major blow in February when he lost his bid for his UK security protection to be reinstated as the judge of the London High Court, Sir Peter Lane, ruled that the initial verdict to strip him off it was “legally sound,” and also denied him permission to challenge the ruling at a higher court in April.
According to the BBC, Harry enjoyed a small victory after finally winning the right to appeal the court’s ruling in June.
