The Queen could never meet Lilibet as Prince Harry threatens to sue UK government over security conflicts

The Queen may never get the chance to meet Lilibet in person, as Prince Harry refuses to return to the UK without security. 

• The Queen may never meet Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter, due to conflicts over security procedures. 
• The Duke of Sussex has refused to return to London until the UK government provides him and his family with police protection. 
• In other royal news, Kate Middleton 'holds future of the monarchy in her hands' with 'troubling' royal times ahead.
  

Prince Harry has refused to return home to the UK without police protection, meaning he and his wife, Meghan Markle, won't be able to introduce their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to Her Majesty any time soon. 

The second youngest of the Queen's greatgrandchildren was born to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on 4 June in Santa Barbara, US, over 5,000 miles away from her royal relatives in Britain. Despite sharing her floral moniker with the 95-year-old monarch, Lilibet, a.k.a., 'Lili', has reportedly only met Her Majesty through Whatsaap video calls. 

It was hoped that Meghan and Harry would bring the seven-month-old and her older brother, Archie, to see the royal matriarch this Christmas, but they were unable to make the overseas trip due to the rising Omicron rates and concerns over Her Majesty's health. 

It was subsequently reported that the couple would return for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this summer, marking their first joint visit back to the UK since their high-profile withdrawal as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020. The public event, which coincides with Lili's first birthday in June, will celebrate the Head of State's seventy years reign on the throne. 

However, plans for such a trip appear to have been thwarted by a recent conflict between the Duke of Sussex and the UK government. 

Prince Harry has claimed it is unsafe to return to London without Scotland Yard police protection and is now threatening to sue the Home Office over its refusal to guarantee the security. The department has also rejected the 37-year-old's offer to personally fund the service rather than expecting the British taxpayer to cover the costs. 

An unnamed legal representative for Harry has since released the following statement: 

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

The spokesperson added that the Duke of Sussex suffered 'compromised' security during his last visit to the UK for Princess Diana's statue unveiling in July 2021, when he was chased by paparazzi after attending a charity event. His attempt to negotiate a stronger security arrangement after this ordeal was rejected, prompting him to file a pre-action protocol, which, if granted by the courts, will result in a judicial review of the UK government's security procedures in relation to the Royal Family. 

The Home Office has not commented on Harry's predicament, but if its most recent statement on security measures is anything to go by, it looks like there's not much sympathy for the stateside royal. 

"The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate," a spokesperson for the ministerial department said. 

"It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements. To do so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security. It would also not be appropriate to comment on the detail of any legal proceedings."