Singer Joss Stone has revealed that Prince Harry quizzed her about life in the UK during a reunion at the WellChild Awards earlier this month, sparking hopes that he may bring his children, Archie and Lilibet, back to Britain. Stone, who attended Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018, told Hello! magazine that the Duke of Sussex was 'genuinely interested' in her family's recent move from the US.
'He also asked about how we were settling back in and was genuinely interested in our move home,' Stone said. 'He was saying how wonderful the schools are here and how important community is for children. It was nice to share that with him because it's exactly why we felt drawn to come back – for the kids to grow up surrounded by family, friends and a strong sense of belonging and most importantly in a safe environment.' Stone added: 'Maybe Harry will move back too. That would be nice.'
Harry has previously expressed a desire to show his children his homeland but has cited security concerns as a barrier, saying he does not feel safe bringing his family to the UK without the automatic police protection he lost when he and Meghan stepped back from royal duties. In an interview after losing a court case over security, he said: 'I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point.'
However, Harry's recent 55-minute private meeting with King Charles at Clarence House has fuelled optimism for a reconciliation. The rift, exacerbated by Harry's Netflix documentary and memoir Spare, has meant Charles has barely seen his grandchildren: six-year-old Archie has only met his grandfather a handful of times, while four-year-old Lilibet has seen him just once three years ago.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that an invitation to stay at a royal residence could resolve the security issue, but questioned whether Meghan would be willing to return. 'Harry's relationship with Charles has been scarred, deeply scarred, by all of this. But now they have started talking again, it makes you think: was it all really necessary?'
