Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will face a significant test just a few weeks into their move back to the UK. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not stepping back into their previous roles as working royals, so the pair will not be able to appear at official royal events such as Trooping the Colour or at state banquets.
They could still appear at garden parties at Buckingham Palace or Royal Ascot, where non-working royals frequently turn up. A test for Harry will be whether or not he attends the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday, November 8.
Remembrance Sunday Significance
Remembrance Sunday is believed to be especially close to Prince Harry's heart. Traditionally, only working royals join King Charles at the annual service where a two minute silence is observed and wreathes are laid by members of the Royal Family and military veterans.
Harry served in the British Army and was deployed twice to Afghanistan, where he boasted of killing 25 Taliban fighters. The prince is believed to feel particularly drawn to Remembrance Sunday so he will wish to mark the occasion in some way. Harry is also a passionate advocate for veterans, including through his leadership of the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham next year.
Previous Appearances and Future Plans
The Duke last appeared at the Cenotaph service in 2019, when he stood alongside his estranged brother, Prince William, just weeks before he and Meghan stepped back from royal duties. Questions will now be asked about the extent to which Harry's plans on November 8 will fit in with those of the wider Royal Family.
It emerged on Wednesday that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have decided to return to the UK for an extended period, beginning in the autumn. They will not be resuming their roles as working members of the Royal Family. The family plans to live at a private, non-royal residence outside of London.
Family and Reconciliation Efforts
Harry and Meghan will maintain their home in Montecito, California, and their holiday home in Portugal. The couple's children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, have already been enrolled at schools in Britain and will start classes in September, according to a person close to the Sussexes who was not authorised to speak publicly.
When asked about the reports of a UK return at an event with US veterans in Washington DC on Wednesday night, Harry replied: "Nothing to say." Harry and Meghan gave up their royal duties and moved to North America more than six years ago to earn their living through lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify. Although relations with the rest of the royal family have soured since then, Harry has recently expressed an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer. Charles was informed of the couple's plans on Sunday. Harry and Meghan visited the UK last month, with visits to Highgrove, where the family met the King, and reportedly to Althorp House.
