Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are actively considering a return to Britain as part of a strategic effort to “reverse Megxit,” a royal expert has claimed. Whether the move represents “a crackpot delusion or merely the wish for a fresh start,” Emily Andrews notes that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are eager to turn around their declining public image in the UK.
American dream cooling
Both Harry and Meghan are reportedly feeling “a bit unwelcome in the USA,” making reconnecting with Harry’s British heritage a top priority for them and their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five. The couple’s holiday home in Portugal is expected to serve as a strategic base for an eventual return to Europe as their commercial prospects in the US continue to stall following the termination of their Spotify contract and uncertainty surrounding their media deals.
Writing in Woman & Home and quoting a source close to the Sussexes, Ms Andrews highlighted a major change in the couple's strategy: “England is where Harry’s heart has always lain. It is no secret that they went to the States to try and seek their fortune, to try to capitalise on his fame and his royalty to some degree. They have had successes... But that American dream is cooling and she perhaps feels an outcast status as well.”
Trust test at Highgrove
Andrews suggests a key shift in the couple's dynamic may also be taking place: “It would perhaps take Harry standing up to Meghan and pleading, ‘I want to go home,’ but I do think it is something he really wants and something Meghan might be coming round to.”
A pivotal moment in their potential return strategy was a recent private family meeting at Highgrove House with King Charles and Queen Camilla. The gathering marked the first time the King had seen his youngest grandchildren in four years. However, royal observers have stressed that the reunion serves as a strict test of discretion set by the Monarch.
Strict privacy boundaries
Following years of strain caused by the couple’s Oprah Winfrey interview, Harry's memoir Spare and their Netflix docuseries, Buckingham Palace is enforcing absolute privacy. According to the expert, when the couple introduced Lilibet in 2022, the late Queen denied their request to bring a private photographer. King Charles has implemented similar boundaries, with no photographs and no press briefings.
As Ms Andrews warned: “If anything leaks out, the fragile trust will be rocked once again.”
Looking ahead, Harry is set to return to the UK next month for a charity event – where another father-son meeting is anticipated – ahead of the Invictus Games in Birmingham next summer. The Sussexes reportedly hope to involve Archie and Lilibet in public engagements surrounding the event.
Outlining Harry's true intentions for any future royal role, Ms Andrews concluded: “Personally, I think he wants the best bits of being royal (popularity, adoration, being able to help) without the onerous duty. What happens next will be fascinating.”
