No audience for Meghan and Harry with Willem-Alexander

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are planning a trip to the Netherlands soon. Unlike usual in royal circles, the two should not have an audience with King Willem-Alexander.

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will not have an audience with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands or a room in the royal palace during their visit to the Invictus Games in The Hague. Instead, they should reside in a hotel, according to a report in the British newspaper “Daily Mail”.

Traditionally, the Dutch royal family has hosted stays for foreign royals, but a spokesman has confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who renounced British royalty in 2020 and moved to the US, has not been offered the opportunity.

The Invictus Games is a sporting event for war-disabled soldiers that was co-founded by Prince Harry. They take place from April 16th to 22nd.

Is there police protection for the couple?

During their visit, the Sussexes may need to take care of their own safety. But it is also conceivable that the 37-year-old and his wife will receive “VIP status” from the Dutch police, as it is also said. According to the British newspaper The Sun, the Dutch authorities have said that Harry and Meghan’s bodyguards cannot be armed when traveling to the Netherlands.

Meghan’s attendance at the event for the first few days was confirmed by a spokesman for the couple on Monday. It is her first trip to Europe since retiring in 2020.

Special meaning for Harry and Meghan

It is not known if Harry will also visit the UK and see his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, after attending the Invictus Games. According to his own statements, he stayed away from the memorial service for his grandfather, Prince Philip, in London at the end of March for security reasons.

For Harry and Meghan, the Invictus Games have a special meaning. When they were held in Canada in 2017, the two officially appeared as a couple in public for the first time. The 2018 games took place in Sydney, and the two royals were also there.