Prince Harry’s trip to Canada for Remembrance events has sparked another round of confusion between the Duke of Sussex and Buckingham Palace, with both sides offering conflicting accounts of what the palace knew — and when.
Harry, 41, traveled to Toronto earlier this month to participate in engagements honoring Remembrance Day, the U.K.’s equivalent of Veterans Day in the U.S. The visit formed part of a series of commemorative events tied to the November 11 observance.
However, sources tell PEOPLE that palace aides were blindsided by the news of Harry’s trip — despite the Duke’s representatives insisting they had already notified royal officials.
According to Harry’s team, they informed royal communications staff before publicly announcing the visit on November 3 — the same day Prince William landed in Rio de Janeiro for Earthshot Prize engagements. Despite this, palace aides reportedly maintain they did not receive advance notice and were surprised by the timing and public announcement.
Earlier this year, Harry was said to have offered to share his official schedule with the royal family in what appeared to be an effort to ease tensions and avoid overlapping public appearances by the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family. The proposed arrangement was intended to create more transparency and reduce speculation that either side was attempting to overshadow the other.
The relationship between Harry and Prince William remains strained following Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back from royal duties in 2020 and relocate to California. Their departure — and the subsequent Oprah interview, Netflix docuseries, and Harry’s bestselling memoir — further deepened the divide, with each offering criticism of the institution.
Despite the tension, Harry and King Charles recently met in person in September for the first time in 19 months. A former royal aide described the meeting as “a massive step in the right direction,” raising hopes for improved relations.
The latest communications dispute comes shortly after another controversy involving Harry and Meghan’s appearance at Kris Jenner’s James Bond–themed 70th birthday party. Following the event at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Beverly Hills home, fans noticed that photos featuring the Sussexes were removed from Instagram carousels posted by Jenner and Kim Kardashian.
Initial reports suggested the images were deleted because Harry and Meghan had declined photo consent. However, a later source contradicted this, saying, “There were no consent forms.”
Despite the confusion, attendees said Harry and Meghan appeared happy and relaxed at the star-studded celebration, which was also attended by Mariah Carey, Adele, Paris Hilton, and Vin Diesel.
