Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to travel to the UK within days, bringing their children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, for the first time since June 2022. The visit is centered around the one-year countdown event for the 2027 Invictus Games, with the entire Sussex family confirmed to attend.
Meeting the Wider Family
According to royal expert Richard Eden, the Daily Mail's Diary Editor, Harry is keen to introduce his children to his "wider family," specifically the Spencer family—his late mother Princess Diana's relatives. Speaking on Palace Confidential, Eden said: "Well, my guess is, and I have to stress it is only a guess, that it is... he's referring to the Spencer family, so his late mother's sisters and brother, whom he has continued to keep up with throughout the years of his exile in California."
Eden suggested that Harry likely wants Archie and Lilibet to meet his aunts, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, as well as his uncle, Charles Earl Spencer. Harry is believed to have stayed with Earl Spencer during a visit to the UK in 2024.
A Bridge Between Families
Eden noted that the Spencers have acted as a "bridge" between Harry and the Royal Family, maintaining good relations with both sides. He added: "It has been extremely tricky for them over the years, about keeping in with both sets of this really divided family. Harry's particularly close to his aunts, his maternal aunts, Jane and Sarah. And I suspect that is who he has in mind when he talks about the wider family."
The Spencers have also kept ties with Prince William, further highlighting their role as intermediaries.
First UK Visit Since 2022
Archie and Lilibet last visited the UK in June 2022 for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee. At that time, the children, then aged three and one, were not seen publicly, and the Sussex family did not appear on the balcony for Trooping the Colour. This upcoming trip also marks Meghan Markle's first UK appearance since September 2022.
The visit comes amid ongoing security concerns for Harry, who has been embroiled in legal battles over his security arrangements in the UK.
