Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to be eyeing up a return to the royal fold, in some capacity. But it remains to be seen how realistic a reversal of Megxit really is
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a new goal. With their popularity dwindling in the US, the couple are said to be determined to mend their broken relationship with the royal family – beginning with their recent meeting with King Charles.
It was the first time that the monarch had seen his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet since 2022, and Meghan’s first return to Britain since the late Queen’s funeral.
But what is the motivation behind their renewed efforts to fix those burned bridges? Reports suggest that the couple are still pushing for a ‘half-in, half-out’ position within the family – something the late Queen expressly forbade.
It’s believed that the couple want to carry on making money to fund their lifestyle in Montecito, but also to be treated as ‘working royals’ when in the UK while doing charity and public speaking events.
Some critics believe Harry is making his move now while he has the ear of the King – and before his older brother Prince William takes power. Certainly, there is no love lost between the siblings, and there will surely be no place for the Sussexes within the royal fold when he becomes king.
Others argue the couple need their connection to the royal family in order to stay relevant. “There is definitely a feeling in his camp that he has started to feel a bit unwelcome in America,” a source close to Harry told the Mail. “That has been an increasing and significant shift in sentiment, a feeling that the American dream might not be all that it was cracked up to be.”
The couple’s axed or reduced deals with Spotify and Netflix hint, some royal experts say, at their star fading in the States. But it’s not only their American dream that has transitioned – so, too, has their relationship, according to another source.
“I don’t think he’s ever wanted to be estranged from his family. I think when he was madly in love with Meghan he could be blind enough to choose her,” they told the publication. “Now things are different, and the veil is lifting.”
At the start of their romance, Harry positioned himself as Meghan’s protector and defender. Most notably, he condemned the racism being directed towards her on social media in a public statement – which has since been removed from the royal family’s website.
He then went one step further. During the couple’s now-infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey post-Megxit, they claimed that an unnamed member of the royal family expressed “concerns” about how dark their son Archie’s skin might be before he was born. It caused an unprecedented crisis within the family.
Harry later denied accusing the royal family of racism during an interview with British journalist Tom Bradby ahead of the publication of his memoir Spare. But the hits kept on coming, with Harry going on to allege physical fights with William, describing a falling out between Meghan and Princess Kate, and calling Queen Camilla “the villain” and “dangerous”.
After quitting royal life, the Sussexes were just as inseperable – embarking on joint work ventures and events to fund their new life in Montecito. Most of these projects proved to be lucrative because of their links to the royal family. But when that well dried up, they seemed to professionally separate.
Meghan launched American Riviera Orchard – now As Ever, and threw herself into her lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, which has since been cancelled. Harry, meanwhile, focused on his charity work, though that too has proved difficult with a bitter boardroom battle at Sentebale – the charity he co-founded in honour of his late mother Princess Diana – leading to his resignation and huge heartache.
Now the couple are said to be struggling to bring any of their projects to fruition, with experts having long suggested that their connection to the royal family is what gave them real relevance.
Some royal watchers have mused over whether this may have put strain on their marriage. Meghan has long been seen as the instigator – and the orchestrator – of Megxit. But sources close to Harry now say that Meghan is ‘fully behind’ his plans to return to the royal fold, in some capacity.
The Sussexes have been married for eight years – and they have certainly gone through some major changes in that time. From being feted as a breath of fresh air for the royal family, to quitting royal life, moving to California, and becoming hugely polarising figures, they have had a rollercoaster ride. Not to mention the fact that they have become parents in that time, to Archie and Lilibet in 2019 and 2021 respectively.
There’s no sign of trouble in paradise from the outside, with Meghan regularly posting loved-up snaps with Harry and their children. Just last week, the Duchess shared sweet photos of the couple giggling together while on their summer holiday in Portugal.
But just like any relationship, things look different nearly a decade into marriage. Relationship expert and dating coach Hayley Quinn, tells the Mirror: “In the first flurry of love, people can often end up putting their partners on a pedestal. They can idealise their partners, and want to do anything for them. They may even attempt to show their love through overcoming adversity. In the case of Harry and Megan, Harry showed his loyalty to Megan during Megxit when the couple left their royal duties for a life in the USA.
“Since then, their plans have had to survive contact with reality. This includes disappointing ratings for their podcasts and TV shows. Additionally, the couple are parents to two young children, which as every parent knows brings its own set of stresses and strains.
“It’s believable that their once great escape no longer feels so gilded and the couple may be experiencing strain on their relationship. Recently there seems to be more attempts from Harry to reconnect with his family, which may suggest he’s had a change of heart about the importance of his wider social relationships outside of his marriage.”
Hayley continued: “Ultimately, all relationships can’t survive on adrenaline and desire alone. Many formerly passionate relationships have to contend with maintaining desire after the honeymoon period has ended.
“Part of this work is a mental readjustment that your ‘roommate years’, where you are focused on coparenting, are a natural progression not a problem in your relationship. It’s also totally normal to discover that your partner has some flaws, that perhaps you didn’t notice in the beginning, nobody is perfect.
“The other part of the work is to find healthy outlets to keep the novelty alive and to spend quality one-to-one time together. For famous couples with demanding schedules, this may be easier said than done.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
