Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the UK with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, but relations with the Duke of Sussex's royal relatives are believed to still be extremely strained. The couple arrived back on Harry's home turf some weeks ago and appear to be settling into British life once more.
Family life in the UK
The Duchess of Sussex shared a heartwarming clip on Instagram, documenting the family's initial weeks in the UK. It featured peaceful woodland strolls, Harry angling with his youngsters, Meghan splashing in puddles and Lilibet cycling while Archie jogs alongside her.
The two royal youngsters have been registered at their second British school following concerns raised by Harry and Meghan's security personnel regarding the commute to and from lessons at the family's initial choice. Harry and Meghan have both maintained busy schedules, with him appearing at the WellChild charity awards where he delivered a moving address, while Meghan has been photographed at the local pub alongside fellow American expatriate Ellen DeGeneres, reports the Daily Star.
Background of the rift
It represents a stark contrast to the duke and duchess's explosive choice to abandon both the UK and their positions as senior working royals six years previously. The pair relocated to Montecito in California with aspirations of achieving financial independence. A series of prominent interviews ensued with figures such as Oprah Winfrey, alongside their own Netflix series, Finding Freedom, while Harry released his memoir, Spare. Throughout these various revelations, the couple levelled several accusations regarding the Royal Family and their period as working royals, potentially heightening tensions between Harry and Meghan and the wider monarchy.
Nevertheless, it appears friction between the Duke and Duchess and the remainder of the royals had been brewing for a considerable period prior to their sensational exit in 2020. Within his book, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Mirror royal editor Russell Myers chronicles the deterioration of relations between Harry and Meghan and the Prince and Princess of Wales, formerly celebrated as the Fab Four.
Wedding tensions revealed
According to Myers, discord within the Royal Family extends back to the months preceding the Duke and Duchess's Windsor wedding in 2018. In July 2025, royal author Sally Bedell Smith revealed that Lady Elizabeth Anson, a cousin and trusted confidante of the late Queen, believed Her Majesty had been profoundly wounded when Harry 'was rude to her for ten minutes' during a pre-wedding meeting. The Queen was reportedly distressed that Harry had requested the Archbishop of Canterbury officiate the ceremony rather than the Dean of Windsor, as custom would require.
Lady Elizabeth stated the heated confrontation with her grandson left the Queen 'hurt beyond belief'. According to Myers, when William learnt of the incident, he confronted his brother regarding his 'unforgivable behaviour'. Amidst mounting pressure on the exhausted staff working tirelessly to finalise wedding arrangements, "[William] saw what was happening and apologised on behalf of his brother on more than one occasion".
Staff concerns and denials
William and Catherine had invested considerable effort in cultivating a positive, comfortable working environment - yet during those months, it began to crumble, with personnel departing regularly. The couple grew increasingly concerned not only about the effect Harry and Meghan were having on staff morale, but also regarding future working relations with the Sussexes.
A source revealed: "In one camp you had the people who cared, wanted those working in the household to enjoy themselves while working there, and on the other side it was something different every day. Nothing was ever good enough, there were constant complaints. It was exhausting."
In July 2018, two months following Meghan and Harry's lavish wedding, William and Kate extended an invitation to their residence in a bid to address concerns about staff treatment. Nevertheless, the couple declined to accept responsibility for the departure of two of Meghan's PAs or for the troubled atmosphere that left staff members reporting stress-related illness. A source revealed: "It had reached an intolerable situation for so many of them, there were a lot of issues surrounding people needing time off work, not wanting to come in or be on engagements on duty with Harry or Meghan. Everything possible was being done at all stages to help them but nothing was ever good enough."
In his memoir Spare, Harry firmly rejected these allegations, stating: "Despite what certain people were saying about her, I never heard her speak a bad word about anybody, or to anybody. On the contrary, I watched her redouble her efforts to spread kindness."
