Prince Harry reportedly turned down King Charles III’s offer to stay at a royal residence during a recent visit to the United Kingdom, a move that has been blamed for the pair’s failure to meet.

The Duke of Sussex is believed to have stayed in a hotel because, according to The Daily Telegraph, the offer did not come with police protection. The newspaper suggests that had he accepted, it might have given father and son an opportunity to see each other.

Newsweek reached out to Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes for comment.

That, in turn, suggests some responsibility may fall on the Sussex side of the fence in a context where the failure to meet was widely reported in Britain as a snub by Charles toward his youngest son.

Harry arrived in the U.K. on May 7, and his spokesperson announced that he had not been able to meet his father: “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 program.

“The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”

If the Telegraph’s report is accurate, it will bring back to the fore just how big an obstacle the security issue is for Harry in terms of his relationship with the rest of the royals.

Composite image of King Charles III and Prince Harry. Harry reportedly declined an offer to stay at a royal residence during a trip to the U.K. over security concerns. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

The duke’s legal representative said in January 2022 that without police protection, it was not safe in Britain for Harry, his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK,” they said.

“In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.”

Harry launched two lawsuits against the U.K. government in an effort to overturn the decision but lost both of them, leaving him with a potential bill for costs expected to land somewhere north of $1 million.

The case revolved around whether the Ravec, a committee of the U.K. Home Office, sufficiently consulted Harry and completed adequate risk assessments before deciding to remove his 24/7 police protection team.

His legal team indicated they will challenge the High Court ruling at the Court of Appeal, though the original judge recently doubled down, stating that the appeal was “largely a recapitulation of the case advanced by the claimant at trial.”

Rejected Harry’s initial attempt to appeal in April, Judge Peter Lane said: “The reality of the matter is that the claimant considers he should receive a different approach to his protection whilst in the UK than Ravec decided he should, based in part on his comparison of his own position with that of others. Ravec, as an expert body, concluded otherwise. It was entitled to do so.”

The prince can still pursue the issue at the Court of Appeal.