The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have returned to Britain with their two young children, Archie and Lilibet, six years after stepping back as senior working royals. However, reconciliation with certain members of the royal family appears to remain out of reach, with tensions persisting.
Following their return, Archie and Lilibet are now enrolled at their second school after security personnel raised concerns about the commute to their initial educational establishment. The Duke of Sussex was also spotted at the WellChild Awards earlier this week, a cause he has championed for many years, where he delivered a heartfelt address on stage.
Royal rift and strained relations
Harry and Meghan relocated to Montecito, California, where they pursued financial independence. They took part in numerous high-profile interviews, including a sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, Harry released his memoir, Spare, and the pair featured in their own Netflix series, Finding Freedom, reports the Daily Star.
They levelled various allegations about their experiences within the royal family, intensifying the rift with Harry's father, King Charles, and elder brother, Prince William. Harry is understood to have repaired relations with the King following multiple visits to the UK, with King Charles reportedly pleased to reconnect more closely with his two grandchildren.
Unresolved tensions with William
Nevertheless, relations are thought to remain strained between the Duke and the Prince of Wales, who alongside his wife, the Princess of Wales, is believed to prefer avoiding any "drama" in light of Harry and Meghan's comeback. William and Charles are also understood to be in "complete agreement" that Harry cannot adopt a 'half in, half out' position within the monarchy.
Mirror royal editor Russell Myers explores the family tensions in his biography, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story. Last July, royal author Sally Bedell Smith revealed that Lady Elizabeth Anson, a cousin and trusted confidante of the late Queen, believed the monarch had been profoundly wounded when Harry 'was rude to her for ten minutes' during a discussion ahead of his 2018 wedding to Meghan.
Wedding dispute and staff concerns
Her Majesty was reportedly distressed that Harry had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to officiate the ceremony rather than the Dean of Windsor, as convention would normally require. Lady Elizabeth described the heated conversation with her grandson as leaving the Queen 'hurt beyond belief'.
According to Myers, when William learned of the incident, he confronted his brother over his 'unforgivable behaviour'. Amidst mounting pressure on staff working tirelessly to finalise wedding arrangements, "[William] saw what was happening and apologised on behalf of his brother on more than one occasion". William and Catherine had invested considerable effort in cultivating a positive, comfortable working environment - yet within those few months, it was disintegrating, with personnel departing regularly. The couple were 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 to the author: "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 the Sussexes' wedding, William and Catherine extended an invitation to Harry and Meghan to visit their home in an effort to address concerns surrounding staff treatment. Nevertheless, the pair declined to accept responsibility for the resignation of two of Meghan's personal assistants, or for the difficult environment which left staff members reporting stress-related illness.
An insider said: "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, Harry firmly rejected the bullying allegations, instead maintaining that Meghan had made every effort to foster a positive atmosphere for those working around her. He said: "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."
