King too busy to see Prince Harry during his UK visit, duke’s spokesperson says
The King is too busy to see Prince Harry during his visit to the UK, the duke’s spokesperson has said.
Harry is in London for an event celebrating 10 years of the Invictus Games.
It marks the first time the royal has been in the country since his rushed visit to see the King in February after the monarch’s cancer diagnosis.
There had been press speculation that the pair would meet up again on his latest trip, but a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex has said the King is too busy to see his son.
“In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the duke will meet with his father while in
the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme,” the spokesperson said.
“The duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Prince Harry speaks at the event near the City of London. Pic: Getty Images for The Invictus Games Foundation
The King returned to public duties last week for the first time since his diagnosis for an unspecified form of cancer.
Buckingham Palace has said his diary will be carefully managed to minimise any risks to his health.
The palace has also said it would not comment on matters relating to Harry.
The monarch held an audience with the prime minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, at Buckingham Palace today as Harry was seen in the UK.
Pic: Getty Images for The Invictus Games Foundation
A Sky News camera captured Prince Harry arriving at an Invictus event in central London
Earlier, a Sky News camera captured Prince Harry arriving at the Honourable Artillery Company’s headquarters on the edge of the City of London for a one-day summit, called the Invictus Games Foundation Conversation.
The event is looking back over the decade-long history of the games which Harry founded in 2014 as a Paralympics-style sporting event for injured and sick military personnel and veterans.
It is taking place ahead of a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the games.
The ceremony will be the first major event Harry has attended in Britain for some time.
King Charles during an audience with the prime minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, at Buckingham Palace today. Pic: PA
Harry hails legacy that ‘transcends sports’
Speaking in a foreword at the summit taking place today ahead of the St Paul’s service, Harry said: “It has been an honour to watch the Invictus Games Foundation grow over the years; what began as a vision to pay tribute to the courage and resilience of wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans, has flourished into an international organisation built on hope, strength, and unity.”
The duke also wrote: “We are eager to celebrate the Invictus Spirit once again – exemplified in every single competitor, staff, friend and family member – your commitment, enthusiasm and belief, have been the driving force behind our continued success.”
He added: “Together, we have created a legacy that transcends sports; a community that embraces compassion, respect, and the unyielding belief in the power of the human spirit. As we celebrate this milestone, let us recommit to the Invictus mission.”
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It is not known if any other members of the Royal Family will be in attendance at the ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday.
British actor Damian Lewis is set to recite the Invictus poem during the service.
Representatives from across the Invictus Games participating nations, including members of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veteran community, will also be in attendance.
Following his visit to Britain, Harry will be joined by his wife Meghan for a trip to Nigeria.
The Duke of Sussex served in the UK military himself for 10 years from 2005 and was deployed to Afghanistan on two occasions.
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From February: Prince Harry and Meghan visit training camp
Harry was inspired to found the Invictus Games after attending the Warrior Games in Colorado in 2013 and seeing how injured American military personnel thrived on the challenge of taking part in competitive sports that aided their recovery.
He went on to stage the inaugural games in London’s Olympic Park in 2014, followed by Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017 and Sydney 2018.
Harry has been living with Meghan in California since they quit their roles as senior working royals in March 2020.
The couple have two children together – Archie and Lilibet.
Harry has only visited the UK a few times since his decision to move to the US.
His latest trip comes after reports of a rift between himself and his brother William, the heir to the throne.
In a tell-all book published in January last year, Harry made several explosive claims about the royals – detailing fallouts with his family, including William.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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