After failing in their ambitions to become a Hollywood power couple, the Sussexes are now back in Britain, frantically scrabbling to construct their comeback.
Prince Harry, Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet flew into Birmingham on a private jet from California at the end of last week so that the kids could begin at their new schools this week.
The couple, who currently have no police protection as the wrangle continues over whether taxpayers will foot the bill for their security, is now ensconced in a new no–n-royal residence, just outside of London.
A close friend of Harry’s claims their intention is to be based in the UK for at least the next decade so that Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, can benefit from a British education.
“The way he sees it, he will be here for the next 12 to 15 years at a minimum,” confirms the pal. “He sees himself as a full-time father and he will be here for the kids, spending every Saturday watching Archie play rugby. That is the agenda.”
Living separate lives
With Harry designated as the at-home parent, the couple plans to live separate lives. Meghan will continue to travel back and forth to their US home in Montecito to keep her As Ever brand – which released a new spiced apple butter product last week – alive.
The decision to stay married but live in two different countries comes because Meghan, 45, was left with very little choice.
“Harry basically told Meghan, ‘Move back with me or it’s over,’” claims our source. “He’d become desperately unhappy living in the US and was determined to spend far more time in Britain.
“Meghan knew Harry was serious. He told her that either he was going to start spending a significant amount of time in the UK on his own or they needed to make the move together as a family.”
A cold reception
After her well-publicised rivalry with the Princess of Wales, Meghan was understandably wary about Harry, 41, returning to royal territory without her, six years after the couple famously said goodbye to royal life in 2020.
“She was on edge about him spending time with the royals alone,” says a palace insider. “She worried she wouldn’t be there to defend herself if anything was said – particularly by Kate.”
Meghan also has her sights set on improving their flagging fortunes, says our insider. “They need to recentre their brand and rebuild some of those royal connections.”
Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales is reportedly “fuming” over the Sussexes’ decision, claiming he and Kate, 44, were blindsided and forced to call an urgent meeting with senior aides.
“Kate can’t quite believe it,” says our source. “Harry and Meghan’s return brings unresolved issues back to the surface, as she remembers how painful and destabilising those years were. She fears seeing the family dragged back into another cycle of accusations and public fallout. She can’t see how it’s all going to work and it’s left her reeling.”
While the King is hopeful his sons can sit down together and work things out, William, 44, has flatly refused.
“William is nowhere near ready to forgive Harry and simply cannot trust him ever again,” confirms the insider. “But with the Sussexes back on British soil, the days of safely keeping their distance are numbered.”
Meghan’s next act
Along with continuing to spearhead her lifestyle brand, Meghan is keen to revive her small-screen career and is reportedly still in the running for a proposed role in Guy Ritchie’s TV crime drama The Gentlemen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Meghan remains in talks for a role in the Netflix hit’s third series. If she lands the gig, it will mark Meghan’s biggest scripted acting comeback since she walked away from Suits in 2017, just months before marrying Prince Harry.
Sources say the duchess is also interested in making her West End debut, with theatre insiders already buzzing about the possibility.
“She’s always wanted to do something like that,” says a source.
English PR guru Mark Borkowski says Meghan would have no shortage of takers.
“I know at least four West End producers who would have her in a production tomorrow,” he says.
“If Amanda [Knox, accused of killing her roommate in Perugia, Italy, in 2007] could be the biggest talking point of Edinburgh [Fringe Festival], why wouldn’t Meghan?”
Their supportive network
They’ve been living in California for six years, but the Sussexes still have a few friends to help ease them back into English high society.
First off, there’s Harry’s old Eton chum Arthur Landon. Once described as “the wealthiest young man in Britain” thanks to his $450 million fortune, Arthur’s perfectly placed to introduce them to all the right people.
Singer James Blunt is also in the Sussex camp. Harry and Meghan have stayed with him in Ibiza in recent years, and they’ll undoubtedly be keen to use him to help widen their social circle.
There’s also Guy Ritchie, who has reportedly written a role specifically for Meghan in the third series of The Gentlemen after being introduced to her through mutual friends.
In the royal camp, there’s Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who have stayed friends with the Sussexes. The two couples both bought homes in Melides, an upscale coastal village on Portugal’s Alentejo Coast.
Harry also remains close to his maternal aunts Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale. Despite initial reservations about Meghan prior to their wedding, Diana’s sisters now support the couple.
The secret feud
Much has been written about King Charles’ rift with his rebellious younger son Prince Harry, but far less has been said about the growing tension with his other son and dutiful heir Prince William. Yet according to palace insiders, it’s that increasingly fragile relationship that should be of far greater concern for the palace.
“William and Charles’ relationship is at an all-time low,” a royal source tells Woman’s Day. “The past few months, they’ve only been seen together once a month and it’s strictly performative. The rift between them is bigger than ever.”
One major barrier for Charles, 77, and William is their conflicting views about what to do with outcast Harry now he’s returned home.
“Since Harry came back to the UK, things have only worsened between Charles and William, and it doesn’t help that William is every bit as stubborn as his father,” the insider says.
From where William stands, there’s warranted “frustration” at how Charles has handled the ongoing situation with the Sussexes.
“William knows he has to respect the Crown, but he’s struggling,” adds our source. “He sees the mistakes his father’s making, especially with Harry and Meghan.
Support for the monarchy is at its lowest in 30 years and none of it had to be this way if Charles had taken his advice.”
House hunt
They’ve got their sprawling Montecito mansion, their luxe villa in Portugal – and now the Sussexes are scouring the UK countryside to buy a third home with a budget of $18 million.
Harry and Meghan are reportedly house hunting in the Cotswolds, the playground dubbed Britain’s Beverly Hills, home to A-listers such as Ellen DeGeneres, Simon Cowell, and Sir David and Lady Beckham.
The couple rented a house there before their 2018 wedding and Meghan was reportedly far more at home in the area than she was in Windsor.
The location is not too far from the swanky country club and hotel Soho Farmhouse, which has long been one of Meghan’s favourite getaways.
US holidays
With Meghan reportedly already plotting out which weeks she’ll spend in the UK and which weeks she’ll be in California, the close source confirms plans are already underway for Christmas to be spent in Montecito. This is to avoid any awkwardness for the annual royal celebrations held at Sandringham. While the move is long-term, there are plans for Harry and the kids to spend school holidays in California.
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