The King may find it in his heart to welcome Prince Harry home, but Prince William won’t be greeting his sibling with open arms.
The bombshell news that Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have moved back to the UK for an extended period with their children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, despite walking away six years ago, has infuriated his brother.
Reopening old wounds
Sources say the Prince of Wales, 44, is fuming that Harry is back and will reinvent himself yet again, despite having bad-mouthed his family so publicly in recent years.
The King, 77, will find it easier to reconcile because Harry, 41, is his son and he wants to get to know his grandchildren, but there’s no goodwill left on William’s part after comments made by Harry and Meghan, 45, about him and his wife Catherine, 44, in their Oprah Winfrey interview, Netflix documentary series and Harry’s memoir Spare.
Royal author Tom Bower says, “The Sussexes have publicly targeted both Waleses with unprecedented cruelty, and William and Catherine have every reason to fear the consequences of their return to Britain. They are, understandably, in an unforgiving mood.”
Media commentator Sarah Vine says William and Catherine are frustrated as they have always behaved impeccably in fulfilling their royal duties, whereas Harry and Meghan haven’t.
“The idea that his little brother is just going to swan back in and steal his thunder – which, given the nature of the personalities involved, is inevitable – must be enraging.”
Heading for a showdown
If Harry starts carrying out royal-style engagements, that will ignite a battle for the spotlight between the brothers and their families, say experts. A media frenzy will lead to “a head-on clash between the House of Wales and the House of Sussex on popularity stakes”, according to one journalist, while Harry acting like a senior royal despite having turned his back on the job in 2020 would be “an absolute insult to William and Catherine,” says another source.
If the brothers are able to bury the hatchet enough to attend events together – such as public commemorations next year marking the 30th anniversary of the death of their mother, Princess Diana, and private get-togethers like Christmas celebrations – there will no doubt be concerns that the Sussexes can’t be trusted to keep interactions between them under wraps.
Royal correspondent Richard Kay points out that William needs to be certain that private family matters are not leaked to US networks and Sussex-friendly publications.
Catherine’s concerns
Catherine also has good reason to be anxious about personal information about her being shared. Harry didn’t hesitate to include details in Spare about the time she got upset when Meghan talked about her having “baby brain” after the birth of Prince Louis, now eight.
“It’s understandable that Catherine could be nervous about private conversations being repeated,” says an insider. “Harry and Meghan have a track record of doing that.”
Accusations of racism – with Meghan telling Oprah during her controversial interview that a family member commented before Archie was born on how dark his skin might be – haven’t been forgotten.
At the time, a furious William declared, “We are not a racist family.”
One of the reasons William seems unlikely to welcome Harry back is because his brother has shown no signs of regret, says Richard.
“Harry may see himself as the returning prodigal son but without any measure of repentance, that return looks distinctly shaky.”
While there could be some pressure on William and Catherine to try to mend fences or accept any apology from Harry and Meghan, they have the public on their side when it comes to whose responsibility it is to patch things up.
A recent poll shows that only four percent of Brits think it’s up to William to make the first move towards reconciliation, while 31 percent of people believe Harry should be the one to make amends.
Why the Waleses can’t forgive the Sussexes
William and Catherine are still upset about claims Harry and Meghan made about the royal family since leaving. These include allegations that:
- William was critical of the relationship and warned Harry not to rush into things with Meghan.
- William and Catherine were not very welcoming towards Meghan, and Catherine did not get on with her “from the get-go”.
- William physically attacked Harry during a 2019 argument at Harry’s Nottingham Cottage home.
- William’s office briefed the media with negative stories about him and Meghan.
- Catherine made Meghan cry during their confrontation over bridesmaids’ dresses.
Calling the shots
The shock news of Harry and Meghan’s return to live in the UK had one upside for the royal family. It came during their annual summer holiday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, which meant they could put their heads together to discuss the implications.
In what’s been dubbed the Balmoral Summit, senior members of the family were able to talk through handling the Sussexes’ return from the US. The King would have welcomed input from William and Catherine, and his siblings Princess Anne, 76, and Prince Edward, 62, and their other halves Sir Tim Laurence, 71, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, 61. Also present were Anne’s children Peter Phillips, 48, and Zara Tindall, 45, with their spouses Harriet Sperling, 45, and Mike Tindall, 47.
Topics likely to have been discussed at Balmoral include how visible the Sussexes will be, and whether they’ll be invited to attend official and family events. The talks will have been impromptu and informal, unlike the infamous Sandringham Summit in 2020. The crisis meeting at the royal residence in Norfolk on January 13, attended by Harry, the late Queen, the then-Prince Charles and Prince William, plus senior royal aides, was held five days after Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back as working royals. Their plan to represent the royal family on a reduced basis was nixed.
Queen Elizabeth later released a statement saying the family supported Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life, but this time there is unlikely to be any official summary of the situation. What does appear to be likely is that the couple won’t be offered the half-in, half-out option they were denied as part of the Sandringham Summit.
Good move for the kids?
The dramatic decision for the Sussex family to return to the UK is going to have a huge impact on the two youngest members, Archie and Lilibet.
The pair has been uprooted from the only home they’ve known or can remember, and their school and friends, to live in a foreign country that’s very different to the California lifestyle they’re used to.
However, it’s believed part of the reason Harry and Meghan made the move is for their children as they want them to get to know their father’s side of the family.
Helping them to understand and appreciate their royal heritage may also have been one of the factors behind the move.
A source says, “The fact they accepted royal titles for their children, when other family members like Princess Anne have turned them down, suggests that being royal is important to them.”
During their 2021 interview with Oprah, Meghan suggested Archie was denied the title of prince at birth, which was “different from protocol”. In fact, he wasn’t given the title then because it can only go to the grandchildren of a monarch or the children of an heir to the throne. Archie and Lilibet got their titles when their grandad Charles became King.
Living a ‘normal’ life
While being in the same country should give them the chance to get to know their grandfather, it’s unlikely they’ll develop relationships with their cousins Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, given the animosity between their fathers.
And their childhoods may be a lot more restricted, given the huge media interest in them in the UK, compared to in the US.
“They may find they’re not able to live the ‘normal’ lives they’re used to in Montecito,” says a palace source.
Harry has previously spoken about his concerns about the safety of his family in his home country. He said last year he wouldn’t bring them home without police protection, which was removed when he and Meghan left their senior royal roles. Security arrangements for the family has not been disclosed.
The show must go on
Being financially independent was one of the reasons Harry and Meghan originally left their royal roles and went to the US, but it is not clear how they are going to support themselves now they are living in England again.
All eyes will be on the couple to see if they use their royal status to make money in their temporary homeland. Meghan’s expected to continue selling products from her As Ever lifestyle brand, but they may have a British twist. She could even land a new season of her Netflix cooking show With Love, Meghan focusing on UK foods.
“If there is some kind of royal angle Netflix may be interested in reviving it,” says an industry insider.
Shortly after the Sussexes’ UK move was revealed, stories appeared saying a role was being written especially for ex-actress Meghan in the third series of Guy Ritchie’s hit TV show The Gentlemen, and the job – a return to the career she left in 2017 – was a significant factor in the shift across the Atlantic. However, within 24 hours it was claimed the offer was dropped because of an intense backlash against Meghan appearing in the show.
As for Harry, sources say one of his reasons for going home is to be able to do more work for charities there. But that doesn’t pay, so how he’ll earn an income is unclear.
He did inherit money from his mother Princess Diana, and great-grandmother the Queen Mother, but there may not be much left given the hefty living expenses he’s had since shifting to the US.
“It remains to be seen whether the King will decide to help him out,” says a palace source.
