Prince Harry has been criticised for informing King Charles of the Sussexes' return to the UK only a few days in advance, leaving the monarch "totally blindsided", according to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due back in Britain later this month to a muted reception, with just 21% of Britons surveyed in favour of the move. No comment has yet come from the Prince and Princess of Wales about the news. King Charles, who was reportedly informed of the move several days ago, is said to be adamant about keeping Harry and Meghan's status as private individuals.
Royal experts divided over sudden return
The sudden return of the Sussexes with their children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, already enrolled in British schools, has divided royal experts. Richard Fitzwilliams, former editor of The International Who's Who, said: "It is outrageous that Harry only told his father a few days ago, totally blindsiding him. I can't prove it of course but I am absolutely certain that Earl Spencer would have known though. Harry is very close to the Spencers of course and there is no love lost between them and the Windsors."
While relations with his late mother's side of the family have remained strong, Harry's relationships with his Windsor relatives remain fragile. There are murmurings that Meghan instigated the family's proposed return as she plans to return to acting after securing a role in an upcoming project. Sources close to the Sussexes have not denied the reports.
Lessons from Camilla's rehabilitation
Royal commentator and author Simon Vigar believes the Sussexes must give greater weight to their consideration of others rather than their own, immediate needs. He said: "I don't think they feel they need to rebuild their public image at all. I'm not sure they care about that. They are a tight unit who have each other. However, while it is a long way off, it is hard to imagine that they won't return to doing some sort of royal duties in the future and so it is something they really should consider."
The author of The Four Wives of Windsor, a new book about Princess Diana, Queen Camilla, Princess Catherine and Meghan Markle, believes the public rehabilitation of Camilla should be the example the Sussexes follow. He said: "At one point, for a particular generation, [Camilla was] the most hated woman in the country. It took years for her to be accepted. She faced a lot of opposition after Diana's death but she turned it around and now most people accept her. Harry and Meghan in particular are going to have to be patient with the British public and even more patient with Prince William."
Funding concerns and future prospects
Vigar believes the Sussexes could learn from Queen Camilla's silent and stoic approach. Following the death of Diana in 1997, Camilla and Charles built a slow but steady relationship in the public spotlight. Camilla had private meetings with Princes William and Harry and gained the trust of the late Queen after meeting her in 2000 at a private lunch for the former king of Greece hosted by the then Prince Charles.
When Charles and Camilla finally wed in 2005 on the same day as the Grand National, they absolved Queen Elizabeth from any embarrassment in having to attend the wedding ceremony because she had a horse racing at Aintree. However, she did attend their wedding reception where she reportedly gave a speech saying, "My son is home and dry with the woman he loves."
Since then Camilla has supported Charles in his path to becoming King, avoiding the limelight and PR stunts, according to Mr Vigar who explained that "time's a great healer". "Over decades, public resentment has softened into genuine acceptance of her," he said. He also points out that unlike Meghan, Camilla holds a more realistic perspective on her public standing. "She knows she is unlikely to top royal popularity polls, and is perfectly comfortable with that," he wrote in The Four Wives of Windsor.
Richard Fitzwilliams agrees that Harry and Meghan should heed the example of Camilla should they want to succeed in coming back to Britain. He said: "Camilla is a model in how to rebuild your public image: charity, good manners and keeping quiet – but that isn't the temperament of the Sussexes. Camilla endured for years without comment or complaint. Look at Harry's book Spare, and the Oprah Winfrey interview and the Netflix documentary. That is just not Harry and Meghan's style but a vast public relations exercise is surely needed."
There are considerable concerns about how Harry and Meghan plan to fund their new life in Britain with no immediate plans to return to the royal fold. Their joint net worth is estimated at £45million through media ventures, publishing contracts and inheritance but this has taken a hit in recent years. The couple's £75million Netflix deal expired and their current less lucrative deal is being "wound down", sources told the Express yesterday.
Meghan's love of the limelight could be cause for concern, however, and Mr Fitzwilliams said she is a "very different character to Camilla". He added: "The idea that Meghan could rebuild her reputation like Camilla has done in the eyes of the British public is all very well but the personalities just don't fit." Mr Vigar points to the couple's "big rift with the British press" as another stumbling block in their rehabilitation with the public.
Peacemakers and the path forward
While Harry and Meghan's return to the UK was not discussed at their meeting with King Charles at Highgrove this summer, Queen Camilla was there and it is she and possibly Catherine, Princess of Wales, who may help smooth the way back for the Sussexes. Mr Vigar said: "Instinctively Harry will want to support the King and Charles will be happy to have his son and grandchildren, and his daughter-in-law close again. And while the relationship between the brothers is non-existent and will sadly never be what it once was, they are going to have to face each other at family events, Christmas, weddings, christenings. As the outsiders Camilla and Catherine are possibly best placed to play the peacemakers like in any family."
He believes the Sussexes also have the late Queen Elizabeth to thank for "leaving the door open for their return". But he warns while the King is keen to reconcile, Prince William is another matter entirely. He said: "The relationship between the brothers is not only non-existent, it is arctic."
Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana's death in Paris. Perhaps this poignant milestone could finally mark a starting point for the brothers to draw a line under the past and consider their future relationship. Vigar said: "If Diana were here, she would be absolutely delighted Harry was coming home and would knock the brothers' heads together. Someone definitely should." Ironically that person might just have to be Camilla.
