Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are "quietly" dismantling a wish of the late Queen, a royal biographer claims. Robert Jobson said one of Elizabeth II's "last great acts" before her death in September 2022 was to settle the debate over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's future after they decided to step down as working royals.
Sandringham Summit and the 'half-in, half-out' deal
He recalled the so-called Sandringham Summit in January 2020, during which Harry argued for a half-in, half-out deal that would see the Sussexes continue to work on the monarch's behalf while pursuing their own projects. Mr Jobson said the late Queen refused because she could see where such a deal would lead.
The author, sharing his reflections on Harry and Meghan's UK return in the Daily Mail, said: "That is what makes this a kick in the teeth."
"Not the homecoming – the quiet dismantling of the one boundary she drew herself, in a room, to her grandson's face and is no longer here to defend."
Evidence of the 'dismantling' claim
As evidence of his "dismantling" claim, Mr Jobson pointed to the Sussexes' maintaining their home in California and setting up another in the UK as well as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet attending schools in the UK, with appearances by Harry and Meghan "when the mood takes".
He added that "a door left ajar" in the UK and US and questions about security do not represent "half-in, half-out arriving down the tracks", but this already being "parked on the driveway".
Mr Jobson suggested that there would be only one way in which a UK return would work that no one will say out loud: "Bring Harry in. Leave her out."
Return to the UK and unresolved questions
Harry and Meghan are days away from setting up home in the UK in a move expected to last for an extended period, but which will not be permanent. News of the surprise decision has sparked widespread talk about where the couple will live, who will pay for their security and whether they will return to royal duties one day.
Arguably, the most difficult issue is whether Harry can repair his once-close relationship with Prince William, which was ruptured by Harry's very public complaints of mistreatment at the hands of Buckingham Palace staff and racism in the Royal Family.
There are also concerns Harry and Meghan might try to upstage William and his wife Princess Catherine when they once again share the limelight in the UK. The couple are expected to live at a private, non-royal residence outside of London and they will not resume their royal duties, which they gave up when they moved to Montecito six years ago.
Their return to Britain comes as King Charles continues to undergo treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer which was discovered in 2024. Harry said last year that he didn't know how much time his father has left and expressed a desire for his children to have a chance to get to know their grandfather.
