King Charles focused on a military engagement in Dorset as Buckingham Palace and Prince Harry gave conflicting accounts over accommodation during the Duke of Sussex’s latest visit to Britain.
King Charles swapped royal ceremony for military hardware as he climbed aboard a Challenger tank during an engagement with the Royal Tank Regiment in Dorset.
The 77-year-old’s visit comes as Buckingham Palace seeks to keep the focus on the royal family’s official duties amid renewed attention surrounding Prince Harry’s return to the UK.
Wearing goggles with a white shirt and striped tie, Charles took the commander’s position in a Challenger 2 on Monday (06.07.26) as it drove twice around a dirt track before spectators gathered at The Tank Museum in Bovington, where soldiers recently returned from deployment in Greece were reunited with their families.
The visit came just before Prince Harry, 41, arrived in Britain on Monday evening for five days of engagements after Buckingham Palace and the Duke of Sussex’s spokesperson issued conflicting accounts over accommodation at a royal residence.
The dispute followed days of discussion over Harry’s security arrangements and whether his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 44, and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, would accompany him.
A spokesman confirmed Harry travelled alone, with Meghan and the children remaining in Europe, although sources close to the couple have said they could still join him later in the week.
Harry is due to attend engagements including events linked to WellChild, Scotty’s Little Soldiers and the countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, the sporting competition for wounded and injured service personnel that he founded in 2014.
Arriving at the museum aboard a restored 1920 Pattern Rolls-Royce Armoured Car also used by Queen Elizabeth II during a 1997 visit to the regiment, Charles was asked how he had found the vintage vehicle. He said: “Slow,” prompting laughter from those gathered.
Inside the museum, which charts the history of armoured warfare through more than 300 vehicles and military artefacts, Charles met four former Colonels-Commandant of the Royal Tank Regiment before speaking with museum staff about preserving military history from the First World War to the present day.
Outside, Charles presented medals to soldiers before meeting relatives attending the regiment’s annual Families’ Day.
Speaking with one family waiting in the summer heat, he said he hoped they “haven’t been waiting in this heat too long” and remarked they must be “delighted” to have their loved ones home following deployment.
The King later viewed displays of battlefield drone technology before inspecting the Army’s next-generation Challenger 3 main battle tank.
Charles was heard describing a military demonstration by soldiers from the Royal Tank Regiment as “wonderful”, with the regiment having recently returned from operational duties in Greece.
The engagement coincided with continued scrutiny of Harry’s UK visit after reports of disagreement over accommodation at Buckingham Palace.
According to the Duke’s spokesperson, Harry formally accepted an earlier offer to stay at a royal residence after making alternative security arrangements.
The representative said: “I am aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting that the Duke had not accepted the offer of accommodation at a Royal Residence.
“Following RAVEC’s decision not to provide security for his family, the Duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend.”
They added “it is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn”.
Palace sources disputed the account, saying no formal acceptance had been received before the requested deadline and that staffing and hospitality arrangements for a royal residence could no longer be put in place at short notice.
They added accommodation at a royal residence would remain available for Harry and his family on a future visit.
The latest developments follow years of strained relations between Harry and the Royal Family since he and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals in 2020.
Harry has continued to challenge decisions over his security in the UK, including an unsuccessful legal battle concerning taxpayer-funded police protection.
Despite the renewed attention on Harry’s visit, the Royal Family’s official diary remains packed, with more than 29 public engagements scheduled for senior working royals during the period of his stay, alongside the King’s private audiences and official meetings.
Harry is also expected to spend time in Northamptonshire, where he plans to visit Althorp, the Spencer family estate and the burial place of his mother, Princess Diana.
Any meeting between Harry and Charles is expected to remain private, while there has been no indication that Harry’s brother Prince William, 44, or his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, also 44, will join any family gathering.
King Charles takes tank ride as Prince Harry fires fresh blows at Royal Family
