S Poddar
Meghan Markle has purportedly set an important condition that Prince Harry must agree to before she and Harry think about returning to the UK.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, married in 2018, lived in England until 2020 before they took the momentous decision to step back from their working royal roles. After that, they moved from their residence at Windsor to Montecito, California, in order to bring up their son, Archie.
Such a rare visit to the UK, where Meghan was first seen at the late Queen’s funeral in 2022 and Prince Harry at the Invictus Games’ 10th anniversary in London last May, before their move. The couple has since added their daughter, Princess Lilibet, to the family.
Speaking to The Mirror, royal expert Tom Quinn has said Meghan is open to consider moving back to the UK if and only under the following conditions: “Meghan has stipulated that she will only agree to move back to England if she and Harry have a residence of their own and adequate security measures in place. Meghan has made it clear she will not stay with her husband’s relatives.”
This scenario raises grave security concerns. Indeed, one of the prime factors behind Meghan and Harry’s leaving the UK was the pursuit of more privacy and safety. After stepping down as senior royals in 2020, the Sussexes lost their police protection that had previously been paid for by the taxpayers. And it was one of the grievances that Prince Harry took legal action on. He has also taken on the High Court for ruling it not enough security-inadequate, that is, in Britain and is now appealing it.
He continued, “If they do get a more permanent home and sort the security, then, of course, they will want to bring the kids back to the UK, but creating a meaningful and warm relationship-it’s going to take some real diplomacy between Archie and Lilibet and their cousins, George, Charlotte, and Louis.”
The process had started back in February 2020, when Prince Harry first filed a claim on his reassessment of the level of protection by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures toward him and his family. In contrary to other royal family members, what amounts over and above is amongst the current continuing—what one can call—a legal battle of the couple as they try to navigate their relationship with the UK and the royal family.
