Prince Harry UK outings face security, royal status questions

Prince Harry is due to make several public appearances in Britain after returning from California with Meghan, bringing renewed attention to the couple's security arrangements and their place in the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to Britain on August 26 and have not publicly confirmed the move. Harry is expected at events linked to his Invictus Games charity for wounded veterans later this week, and is scheduled to attend a September 21 awards ceremony for WellChild, a charity of which he has long been patron.

Meghan has posted images on Instagram of family life in Britain, while the couple are reportedly based in the Cotswolds in central England. British media have not published their exact location or the schools attended by their children.

Several outlets reported Monday that Archie and Lilibet changed schools days into the new term because of security concerns. The BBC, citing a source close to the couple, said their private security team had raised concerns about the length of the original daily journeys and traffic on the route.

UK media also reported that the independent body responsible for deciding police protection for politicians, royals and other public figures will review whether to restore taxpayer-funded security for the family. Harry previously lost a legal challenge over publicly subsidised protection after stepping back from royal duties and moving to the United States.

Buckingham Palace has separately sought to clarify the couple's status. A letter from the Lord Chamberlain, the palace's most senior official, said Harry and Meghan are not to be considered working members of the royal family.

Royal historian Ed Owens told AFP that the sudden relocation had “to some extent caught the royal household off guard”. A recent YouGov poll found that 16 percent of Britons favoured a return by the couple to royal duties, while about half were opposed.