As Prince Harry touches down in the UK, a part of him will no doubt be sad that Meghan, and children Archie and Lillibet, will not be with him. Meghan Markle’s decision not to fly to the UK next week has reportedly left Prince Harry feeling conflicted between his wife and his return to Britain.
It has been reported that Meghan is not flying back with him over security reasons, but sources claim Harry also understands how it would be difficult for her to return to England and reunite with his family after more than 18 months.
The 39-year-old prince is due to arrive alone on May 8 for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, but it was originally believed he would be joined by Meghan and their kids, in part to show their support for King Charles and Kate Middleton, who are both undergoing cancer treatment and to attend a ceremony to mark 10 years of the Invictus Games.
But a return to Britain might understandably be difficult for Meghan, given her difficult history with the royals - including the fall-out from Harry’s revelatory biography, Spare, and the couple’s deeply personal interview with Oprah Winfrey back in 2021.
A source told OK!, “Harry is extremely loyal to Meghan and would never want to put her in an awkward position, and he understands why she would find it difficult to return to Britain - too much has happened to make her feel comfortable.”
Harry is keen to put the past behind him and extend an olive branch, claims the source. “He wants to see his father at this difficult time, and offer support to Charles and Kate, who he was once very close to."
Harry and Meghan are believed to have “reached out” to Kate, 42, and Prince William after the Princess of Wales’ released her emotional video announcing her cancer treatment in March. The gesture was seen as a peace offering between the two couples - with relations with William, 41, thought to be particularly strained.
Our source added, “In an ideal world, they would still be close to the royals and get support from them, but too much has happened, and they are both just sad that it’s all turned out like this.
"Harry hopes that it can all be sorted out one day. He would never want to be in the position where he would have to choose between his wife and his family."
There have been some strong signs recently of attempts to repair things, particularly between Harry and his dad, King Charles. When Charles, 75, announced in February that he had cancer, his youngest son flew from his California home to meet him face-to-face in London. Meanwhile, Meghan hasn’t stepped foot in the UK since Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth III, died in September 2022.
Our source said that Meghan was initially excited to have a bigger family when she married Harry, but later felt they had no option but to “walk away” when relations began to “sour”.
“They were determined to get their side of the story across and knew of the ramifications of that,” they claimed. “But Harry has had a bit of wake-up call in recent months, with the news of both his dad’s and Kate’s cancer, and it has made him realise that life is fragile.”
It was initially widely reported that Meghan would join Harry next week, and would bring their two young children - Prince Archie, who turned five on May 6, and Princess Lilibet, two, - for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral But the former Suits actress made a “dramatic U-turn”, reportedly fearing for her family’s safety after the exact date and time of the service was leaked.
However, she has been confirmed - by a national Royal Correspondent - as Harry’s plus-one for his trip to Nigeria, which immediately follows the Invictus Games ceremony in the UK. The source said her decision to accompany Harry to West Africa proved their relationship was still “strong”.
“She has vowed to support him and while she won’t be in the UK, she will be by his side in Nigeria and proving how strong they are as a couple and also what the royal family are missing out on,” the source said. “She says they don’t have to do everything together and it’s important for them to have separate interests. Like any couple, they need time apart.”
Meghan and Harry have both been incredibly vocal about the way they feel they’re treated in the UK. Harry’s shock statement released by Kensington Palace back in 2016, when they were boyfriend and girlfriend, referred to the “wave of abuse and harassment” aimed at Meghan, and said: “He knows commentators will say this is "the price she has to pay" and that "this is all part of the game". He strongly disagrees. This is not a game - it is her life and his.”
Then in his Netflix docuseries, titled Harry and Meghan, he discussed his family’s reaction, saying: “What people need to understand is, as far as a lot of the family were concerned, everything that she was being put through, they’d been put through as well, so it was almost like a ‘rite of passage’.”
According to our source, Meghan is stuck between a rock and a hard place but will likely stand firm in her decision not to step foot on UK soil. “Meghan couldn’t win either way – if she went to the UK with him, she would be accused of interfering. This is just something Harry has to do for himself. There has always been a lot of drama surrounding their marriage - but this has only made them stronger.”
