Residents of Tetbury, the town neighbouring King Charles's Highgrove House estate, have expressed surprising warmth towards Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following their return to the UK, according to an Express reporter who spoke to locals this week.
Adam Toms, writing for the Express, visited the Cotswolds town on Thursday after the Sussexes returned to Britain following time in Canada and California. Their arrival comes after they stepped down as working members of the Royal Family in 2020, and it is thought they will live at a property in the Cotswolds.
Frosty reception in Moreton-in-Marsh
Speaking to people in Moreton-in-Marsh, a town in the north of the Cotswolds, on Wednesday, Toms reported a frosty reaction. One local said Harry had "burned his bridges" and branded him a "disgrace". There were also calls for the couple to be "banned" from the Cotswolds, with others telling them to "make their mind up" about where they want to live.
Surprising warmth in Tetbury
Given Tetbury's proximity to Highgrove House, Toms expected residents there to be even more hostile. Instead, he was shocked at how understanding and accommodating they were.
Many welcomed the couple's return, describing it as good news. They emphasised that Harry had a traumatic upbringing and that Meghan had endured a "rough" time due to an estrangement from her father and a struggle to adapt to royal life.
Some remained opposed to the idea, however, angry at the way the Sussexes had criticised the royals from across the Atlantic and suggesting their return could spell trouble. One person even branded King Charles as "soft".
Family fractures and the future
Harry and Meghan living in Britain is bound to present some problems, Toms noted. It will be especially interesting to see how they are handled by the Prince and Princess of Wales, as William and Kate have purposefully erased their troublesome counterparts from their lives.
The future king does not speak to his younger brother. Things cannot just go back to the way they were pre-Megxit, Toms wrote, noting that Harry and Meghan have basically waged a war against their own family – but luckily for them Charles seems to want to forgive and move on.
Perhaps his cancer diagnosis has given him an extra impetus to do this. He will no doubt want to spend more time with his grandchildren. At the heart of this is a family trying to heal extremely deep fractures and, just like with a broken bone, this will take time and a great deal of care.
