Prince Harry 'was offered the royal residence to stay' by King Charles, but 'refused' it

Prince Harry was offered the royal residence by King Charles during his recent trip to the United Kingdom. But the Duke of Sussex is said to have declined the offer, according to insiders.

He arrived in London last Tuesday for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, WalesOnline reports, and he attended a service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday. The Duke reportedly chose to stay in a hotel during this brief visit.

This came after he and his wife Meghan Markle handed back the keys to Frogmore Cottage last summer after they were asked to leave their English home. But sources said that, lacking an official residence in the UK, King Charles had offered his youngest son accommodation in a royal residence for the trip.

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But Harry chose to stay in a hotel instead, the Sunday Times reported. During his whirlwind trip back to the UK, there was speculation that the two would meet.

But it was revealed just after his arrival last Tuesday that his father, King Charles, was too preoccupied to meet him. According to a spokesperson for the Duke: “This will unfortunately not be possible due to Her Majesty’s full schedule. The Duke of course understands his father’s engagement diary and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”

Close friends of Harry have suggested he went to considerable lengths to arrange a meeting with his father. It follows the Sunday Times suggesting that insiders close to the monarch considered a father-son meeting more practical if Harry had chosen to stay at a royal residence rather than a hotel.

But contrary to these suggestions, some claim that Harry did not ask to meet his father or invite him to the Invictus Games event. “It’s all very sad,” relayed a friend of the king to the Sunday Times.