Prince Harry received “cast iron assurances” his family will be protected by specialist police when he touches down in the UK today.
The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle are flying in from California with their own personal security detail but will become the Metropolitan Police’s responsibility when they land.
It will be only the second time Meghan has returned to the UK in more than two years, since the couple dramatically quit their royal roles in 2020.
The couple are bringing their two children Archie, three, and Lilibet, who turns one on Saturday.
Security sources have revealed the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection unit have spent weeks liaising with the Prince’s team and guaranteed taxpayer-funded officers.
Harry, 37, has been embroiled in a legal row with the Government over a Home Office decision to strip him of his UK security.
Lawyers for the Duke, who fled to Canada and later set up home in the US seeking “financial independence”, told the High Court he was “unable to return home” over fears it is too dangerous.
Sources close to the Sussex camp said Harry was always “in favour” of returning to the UK for the celebrations.
The Duke even later made an offer to pay the Met for the protection of fully trained officers but was told they were not “guns for hire”.
In the US, the family are guarded by a rotating 24-hour team, understood to consist of up to 12 former special forces personnel and highly trained armed security professionals.
A source close to the Sussex camp said: “For Harry, this has always been about protecting his family.
“He has been in constant contact with the relevant parties and made it very clear that he wouldn’t travel without receiving cast iron assurances over the safety of his family.
“He is satisfied the right procedures are in place and they are all very much looking forward to this week’s celebrations and of course getting to spend time with Her Majesty.”
Harry and Meghan in early April enjoyed a brief secret meeting with the 96-year-old monarch and separately a 15-minute meeting with Prince Charles before they jetted off to the Invictus Games in The Netherlands.
The Duke and Duchess promised Her Majesty they would bring the children to see her “in the near future”.
But Harry days later caused fury among senior royals when he told an American broadcaster that he flew in to meet the Queen ahead of a trip to The Hague to make sure she was “protected” and had “got the right people around her”.
A source said: “There has been further contact between the Duke and members of his family, but any talk of them planning to cause a scene or detract from the Queen’s celebrations is nonsense.
“They are here to see family and enjoy what will undoubtedly be an incredible moment in history.”
The Queen has never met Lilibet, who is named after the nickname affectionately given to her by her grandfather King George V, and has only met Archie a handful of times as a baby.
The Sussexes will be staying at their Frogmore Cottage home on the Windsor estate and are understood to be throwing “Lili” a birthday party on Saturday, which the monarch may attend if she misses the Epsom Derby.
However, Buckingham Palace aides were this week still in the dark over Harry and Meghan’s plans for the Jubilee weekend.
It is thought they will attend the St Paul’s thanksgiving service on Friday and potentially the Jubilee pageant on Sunday.
Celebrations kick off on Thursday with Trooping the Colour, but the Queen has ruled only working members of the family will be allowed on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the traditional fly-past.
The Sussexes’ arrival comes as a poll out yesterday showed their popularity in the UK has sunk to a record low. Nearly two-thirds (63%) hold a negative view of them, YouGov’s poll showed.
Courtiers have suggested there is “nervousness” over the Sussexes’ arrival after reports they are in talks to film a reality show about their lives in the US.
Camera crews from Netflix, which the couple have a £100million production deal with, followed them during the Invictus Games.
But only Meghan’s trusted make-up artist and close friend, Daniel Martin, has arrived in London ahead of the arrival of the former Suits actress.
Sources close to the couple said it was “ludicrous” to suggest they would bring the Netflix cameras with them, adding: “They aren’t even bringing a press team. It’s all very low key.
“Whoever is being hysterical needs to have a cup of tea and calm down.”
