Prince Harry and Meghan Markle refused royal privilege on Netherlands trip but may still receive 'VIP' treatment

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will miss out on a special royal privilege on their trip to the Netherlands this weekend, due to the 'private' nature of their visit. 

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be given a room in one of the Netherlands' royal residences on their trip to the Invictus Games at The Hague this weekend, according to a royal insider. 
• The Dutch King and Queen traditionally host British royals at one of their palaces but have reportedly failed to offer the privilege to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 
• In other royal news, the Queen’s criticism at Kate and William's wedding revealed by lip reader.
  

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been denied a special perk traditionally afforded to British royals staying in the Netherlands—palace accommodation. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit The Hague for the Invictus Games 2022 this weekend, marking their first joint trip to Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

The trip will see the couple meet participants of the international sports competition, which was founded by former British army officer Harry in 2014 for wounded service members and veterans. They will also be followed by a film crew at the event to capture footage for the upcoming Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Netflix Netflix documentary. 

Unfortunately, it looks like the Sussexes won't be able to get any B-roll of royal residences for the highly-anticipated film. The Dutch Royal Family reportedly won't be rolling out the red carpet for their British-American guests, due to the private nature of their visit. 

Harry and Meghan will "not be given an audience with Netherlands King Willem-Alexander" nor will they be hosted overnight in one of the country's three royal palaces. The couple will instead have to find alternative accommodation (likely a swanky five-star hotel) and make do with commoner company. 

The Duke and Duchess have also been forbidden to travel around the Netherlands with armed guards, in accordance with the EU country's strict laws on concealed and open carry.  

Dutch police spokeswoman, Anna Sophia Posthumus, told the Sun, "No, in the Netherlands only government officials (police, military personnel, etc) are allowed to carry weapons". 

However, according to Dai Davies, a former head of royal protection at Scotland Yard, the couple will still receive top-class security during their stay. 

"The truth is I have no doubt that he will be protected [in the Netherlands], whether he takes his own team or whether the Dutch authorities give him some kind of VIP status," he said. 

The news comes shortly after it was revealed that Prince Harry threatened to sue the Home Office over its refusal to allow him to pay for government security in Britain. The Duke, 37, has claimed that he feels 'unsafe' in his native country, after being chased by photographers on his trip to Princess Diana's statue unveiling at Kensington Palace last July.