PRINCE Harry could be “blackmailing” King Charles by keeping his grandkids in America, according to a royal expert.
The Sun’s royal photographer Arthur Edwards appeared on our Royal Exclusive show and said the Duke of Sussex is “stupid” to ‘withhold’ Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three.
HELLO! reported a friend of the Duke of Sussex saying the royal dad-of-two’s “goal is simple.”
The pal stated: “He wants to ensure the safety of himself and his family while in the UK so his children can know his home country and so he can help support his patronages and their important work.”
The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson, who hosted the episode, said that Prince Harry not returning to the UK with his kids could be sending a message.
He shared: “I think it almost felt like a bit like blackmail, kind of saying, ‘If I don’t get my security, then you will never see your grandchildren, or the country will never see the family come back to the UK unless I get my security.”
Prince Harry is to appear in court to appeal a High Court judgement that upholds a Home Office decision to downgrade his security, following him no longer being a senior working royal.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and now live in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Arthur replied: “Well, if he [Harry] says that, then he’s stupid.
“And I feel very sorry for our King, because he doesn’t get to see his grandchildren, which is sad.
“If he came to England with his children, Meghan and his children, they would be looked after.
“They’d be in the circle there, wherever he went, there’d be people looking after the King and Queen and other members of the royal family.”
Are Meghan Markle and Prince Harry eyeing up a move BACK to Britain
Arthur claimed the “main” issue for Prince Harry, 40, returning to the UK is his fraught relationship with his brother, Prince William, 43.
The royal photographer continued: “At the moment, it just seems that William and Catherine and Harry and Meghan just just can’t get on, and that’s the problem,
“I think the king. I mean, it’s so sad for the king.”
Separated family
King Charles has reportedly only met Princess Lilibet once, during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and has seen Archie just a handful of times.
Harry had told the High Court that there was “no possibility” of keeping his children safe on UK soil following the security downgrade.
A judge ruled there had not been any “unlawfulness” in the call to pull Harry’s security.
Retired High Court Judge Sir Peter Lane added the decision had been “justified”, and was not “irrational” – as it had been dubbed.
But the Duke of Sussex has vowed to appeal the judgement and claimed he is “not asking for preferential treatment”.
Harry’s visa woes
There are further woes for Prince Harry with his US visa.
Judge Carl Nichols has said he wished to reveal the “maximum amount possible” to determine how the Duke of Sussex obtained legal entry into America.
Conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation had questioned why the duke was allowed into the US in 2020 following his reference to consumption of cocaine, marijuana, and psychedelic mushrooms in his book Spare.
In his controversial memoir, Harry said cocaine “didn’t do anything for me”, adding: “Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me.”
Heritage sued the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last year after the agency, which oversees immigration in America, refused a Freedom of Information request for Harry’s files.
In his memoir, ‘Spare’, and his Netflix TV series Harry talked about using cannabis, cocaine and magic mushrooms.
US judge Nichols previously ruled in September last year that the public did not have strong interest in the sharing of the prince’s immigration records.
But this week was the first time the case has been in US courts since President Trump returned to office last month.
The latest decision means Harry could yet face embarrassing revelations over whether he lied on his US visa.
Harry’s representatives have declined to comment on the case.
President Trump said in a GB News interview with Nigel Farage in March last year that Harry should not receive preferential treatment.
Asked if the Duke should have “special privileges” if he is found to have lied in his application, the president said: “No. We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
He also previously vowed, before he was elected, that “Harry is on his own” if he became president again.
