Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to return to the UK in the coming weeks, but the couple are unlikely to be welcomed back with open arms by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken the decision to leave their Montecito, California, home and relocate to Britain with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, who are already registered at schools here in the UK.
Sussexes' return to Britain
The couple, who left both Harry's native country and their positions as senior working royals in 2020, are reportedly heading back within the coming weeks, with their children beginning school in September. They are understood to be relocating to a non-royal property outside of London, though they will not be going back to their previous positions within the royal family.
A source has suggested the relocation is something Prince Harry has been considering "for some time". They told People magazine: "Harry never really stopped missing home. He's missed that sense of connection and belonging. Britain is still home in many ways." Another source added: "Meghan feels very fortunate that they're able to give Archie and Lilibet the opportunity to experience both worlds."
William and Kate's stance
King Charles and Prince William are understood to have been told about Harry and Meghan's intentions, which emerged last week, simultaneously. William and Catherine are said to be resolute in avoiding being dragged into the "drama" surrounding Meghan and Harry. Friends of the Prince and Princess of Wales have revealed that while they "cannot forgive" the Sussexes for their allegations against the royal family during their period in America, both in prominent interviews and in Harry's memoir, Spare, the Prince and Princess of Wales are committed to "look forward to the future".
Nevertheless, the two couples were once thought to be close and were even dubbed the 'Fab Four' following a joint appearance. Harry and Catherine had enjoyed a strong bond ever since she entered the royal family and the Duke of Sussex once described her as "the big sister he never had". It had been anticipated when Harry started his life with Meghan Markle the two women would likewise develop a close relationship but this proved fleeting. Less than two years after tying the knot in a grand ceremony at Windsor, Harry and Meghan had abandoned their positions as working royals and relocated to America.
Key moment Kate 'gave up'
Multiple prominent interviews, including one with American talk-show legend Oprah Winfrey followed, a Netflix series documenting their experience in the royal family and Harry's memoir all made a succession of damaging claims against his family. However, it was another matter that is believed to have prompted Princess Kate to essentially "give up" on her in-laws. In the biography, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Mirror Royal Editor Russell Myers details their private responses to Harry and Meghan's conduct - both before and after Megxit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been dogged by rumours their staff were bullied, with the claims dating back to their wedding and the royal family were said to be troubled by the allegations. Prince William is said to have contacted his brother at the beginning of 2019 to question him directly about Meghan's treatment of their staff within the palace. This is believed to have led directly to the 'fight' between the two brothers, which Harry said concluded with William pushing him into a dog bowl. The Prince of Wales has never commented on the incident but sources close to William have characterised Harry's recollections as "massively overblown".
In Spare, Harry claimed William had "echoed the narrative of the tabloids, calling his wife 'difficult', 'rude' and 'abrasive'. While those close to the future king couldn't confirm the exact words he used, they noted "it would have been a fair assessment if he did".
Meanwhile, Catherine and William had worked tirelessly to build a contented team around them, fostering a constructive working atmosphere. In contrast, staff employed by Harry and Meghan were deeply unhappy to the point of resigning, struggling with their mental health, or simply refusing to attend engagements alongside the couple. This became a significant concern for the Prince and Princess of Wales. According to Myers, Catherine — who had long served as the voice of reason during the brothers' disputes — decided she had reached her limit.
The book says: "Catherine has always favoured reason over conflict. It was how she had been brought up, in a household that resolved differences with dialogue rather than by bearing grudges. At first she had thought William and Harry's squabbles were rooted in immaturity or stubbornness, on both sides, but Harry and Meghan's attitude towards palace staff, who she and William cared about, set the couples on an entirely different course."
It came to a head after Harry and Meghan's wedding. One source who knew both couples well at this time suggested William and Catherine felt the Sussexes had 'an agenda'. A source said: "They definitely thought the Sussexes' behaviour stemmed from something more than being difficult. The whole atmosphere between them was pretty toxic. Meghan was being bullish, Kate found her abrasive. There was definitely a hope from her side [Catherine's] that William could try and talk to Harry and settle things but that didn't exactly happen... and at the end of the day, she had three young children, who were her focus and if anything she saw the inevitability of the parting of ways, although perhaps not to the extent of what eventually happened."
