Prince Harry Kicks Off UK Visit 'In Good Form' Despite Family Reunion Drama

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, officially kicked off his highly-anticipated trip to the United Kingdom on July 6, 2026, but it hasn't put an end to the many rumors about his visit. Harry's latest drama and its accompanying finger-pointing involved his invitation to Buckingham Palace, which King Charles withdrew at the last minute. This and other issues have resulted in myriad questions about whether this summer may actually bring about the end of the royal family feud. Yet, it seems that Harry is starting his trip off with a much friendlier and less incendiary outing than some of his upcoming events may be. 

Harry has surely been putting a lot of thought into the time he'll be spending with family during his visit across the pond. His first public appearance of the trip, however, was all about celebrating his friend and having some fun. On July 6, Harry attended the London premiere of the documentary "Shoot the People." The film is a portrait of the photographer and activist Misan Harriman, whom Harry befriended in 2022 when Harriman photographed him and Meghan Markle. Harriman also captured the couple in striking portraits throughout their 2024 trip to Nigeria.

Harry posed with Harriman for photos on the red carpet after arriving in the U.K. that afternoon. On July 7, his spokesperson told People that Harry "was in good form last night," noting, "He's really happy to be back in the U.K. and really looking forward to the week's engagements." Suffice it to say, royal watchers are definitely looking forward to Harry's upcoming appearances, too.

Now that Prince Harry has officially returned to his home country, some of the questions that first arose for fans during the trip's planning phase are likely to be answered. The aforementioned incident involving his Buckingham Palace invitation, for instance, will hopefully be elaborated upon. At first, King Charles III's offer ahead of the visit seemed to hint that the royal rift could be thawing. The monarch reportedly planned to let Harry, Meghan Markle, and their children stay in the royal property while they were in town. Then, everything seemed to fall apart. What happened?

According to the BBC, Harry's spokesperson claimed that he accepted the offer to stay in Buckingham Palace, yet the invitation has since been revoked. However, royal insiders told People that Harry didn't reply to the offer until July 4, just two days before his arrival, with some claiming that he accepted the invitation after it was already revoked. There have been further complications to the story, with palace sources alleging that Harry initially denied the offer to stay at the palace. Furthermore, it was assumed that King Charles would not want to have Harry at the palace on July 7, when his legal case against the Daily Mail is set to conclude.

Obviously, the drama is already intense just one day into Harry's visit, which certainly doesn't bode well for the days to come. Nonetheless, Charles is reportedly thrilled to be seeing his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, when they visit, something which Harry has been looking forward to, as well. Regardless of what happens in the interim, hopefully the royal family reunion still pans out and allows some fences to be mended.