Prince Harry and Meghan Markle anticipated a care-free life in sunny California, bit it seems like things didn’t turn out that way.
When they decided to leave Britain behind and settle in the States, they hoped for a fresh start. However, they faced an array of challenges, one of which their inability to make friends and Harry’s feelings of nostalgia. Allegedly, he’s been missing his old life and his friends back in his homeland.
According to royal expert Tom Quinn, Harry has been looking for a house in Britain to have a place to stay when visiting his family, with whom he’s not been on good terms since stepping down from his royal duties.
Harry visited Britain a handful of times, and the possibility of him making a visit to his homeland together with his family is a matter of discussion because his wife Meghan fears for her children’s safety when in Britain.
A source close to the Sussexes opened up about Meghan’s decision not to accompany her husband to Britain for the Invictus Games celebration.
“It’s now got to the point where Meghan doesn’t want to come to the UK with the children. She just doesn’t feel safe. The situation is now about whether the family should attend with increased security or Harry should go it alone,” they said at the time.
Last year, Harry disputed the Home Office’s decision to cut his security protection while he was in the UK. Following his departure from royal life, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) withdrew his automatic police protection. Additionally, his offer to pay for his own security was rejected because British police could not be hired privately.
“It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020,” Harry’s statement, read by his lawyer Shaheed Fatima KC stated, as reported by BBC.
“The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the US. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.”
The Duke added, “I cannot put my wife in danger like that, and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”
However, Harry and Meghan are still close to certain members of the Firm, including Princess Eugenie.
Recently, the Sussexes purchased a residence in Portugal, which is close to that of Princess Eugenie.
According to Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal expert, this could be interpreted as a good will by Harry and Meghan to stay close with select members of the royalty and possibly a step towards rebuilding their relationship with King Charles and Prince William.
Recently, however, rumors have surfaced that Harry and Meghan’s marriage may be shaky.
A source told Closer that Meghan Markle is “deeply concerned” that the royals “might manipulate” Harry into returning to the royal fold.
“Now, if it is deemed safe from a security standpoint, it’s likely she’ll give her blessing for Harry to take Archie and Lilibet to see their grandpa, King Charles, at some point,” the insider said, per The Sun. “And in terms of logistics, having a place in Portugal will make that easier, because Meghan can fly over with the kids without feeling trapped.”
In the resent months, both Harry and Meghan took a number of solo engagements, and as per a GB News source, the Duchess is affected by the rumors.
“She has really felt the strain in recent weeks, and with all the speculation surrounding her and Harry and their marriage,” the source said.
“They haven’t done themselves any favours by doing so many separate events but this is what they have decided to do as it works best for them at the moment as a couple and they both feel they can shine at events that are close to their hearts.”
The source added: “But it does upset her that, while Harry was getting praised for all of his appearances, she is getting criticised for what she says, what she wears, etc and it brings back hurtful memories of when she was a royal.”
PR expert Ed Coram James argues that working on separate project may help the couple build more positive image of themselves as separate individuals.
He stated that ever since the infamous Oprah interview their shared brand has become “more toxic” and “commercially untenable.”
“This is because the ongoing confrontation with the rest of the Royal Family, as well as much of Meghan’s family, have made them appear confrontational and combative, their string of commercial projects that haven’t worked out and have led to a sense that they aren’t the best producers. And their worldwide publicity tour made them look whiney, ungrateful, and unconscious to the enormous privilege that they have enjoyed,” Ed Coram James told the Mirror.
“To overcome the obstacles of appearing spoiled, arrogant, immature, attention-seeking, aggressive, fight-picking, hypocritical, and incompetent is very tricky. But, it is achievable. To do it, they need to lean into the exact opposites of these labels. The first step in this always had to be to dissociate themselves from the brand that had achieved such labels in the first place.”
James added: “When combined, the Sussexes brand is, from a PR perspective, toxic. But, when separate, they have a genuine chance of creating an entirely separate brand, with completely different labels. If they manage to achieve this, then one day they could again reunite brands, and create a new combined brand that works.”
Renae Smith, founder and director of PR firm Atticism, agrees but believes that this decision could affect their relationship negatively in the long run.
“I think their decision to pursue individual brands could indeed work in their favour over the long term, although it’s bound to spark a fair amount of public speculation in the short term,” he said.
“From a PR perspective, this shift might allow each of them to create distinct brands that better reflect their different priorities and resonate more coherently with their individual audiences.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have admitted themselves that they’re at a ‘crossroads’ when it comes to their professional endeavors.
The Duchess attended a Thanksgiving event hosted by the Southern California Welcome Project in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation, while her husband was in Canada doing events related to the Invictus Games.
At the event Meghan attended, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to connect with women who had resettled in the United States from Afghanistan. “This initiative, led by the partner organization Mina’s List, has spent the past year building community through storytelling and creating a safe space for women who have resettled in the U.S. from Afghanistan. The evening included a shared meal that encouraged open conversation centered on gratitude and resilience,” she said in her statement.
The couple will attend the Invictus Games in February 2025 together. They will likely take their children with them, which would be a rare public appearance of the young prince and princess.
Harry also explained why he and Meghan are attending separate events.
“I Google News-ed you, and there were people fascinated by everything you’re doing, all the time,” NYT journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Harry during the New York Times’ 2024 DealBook Summit in New York City on Wednesday, December 4.
“They’re fascinated by Meghan, who is in California right now, and you’re here.
“And there’s articles left and right about, you know, ‘Why are you making independent events? Why aren’t you doing them together?’”
Harry quipped: “Because you invited me, you should have known!”
“True,” Sorkin replied, “Is that normal for you?
“The second there’s an article — she’s in California, you’re in New York — they say, ‘Well, what is happening with these two, right?’ Is that a beneficial thing for you, in a way, that there’s so much interest in you?”
The Duke then admitted, “No, that’s definitely not a good thing.
“Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times.
“We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?”
After speaking of his relationship with Meghan, Harry reflected on his tumultuous relationship with the media.
“I’ve had a lived experience since I was a kid,” he said, “I’ve seen stories written about myself that aren’t exactly based on reality.
“I’ve seen stories about members of my family, friends, strangers, all sorts of people.
“And I think when you grow up within that environment, you do find yourself questioning the validity of the information but also what other people are thinking of that as well, and how dangerous it can be over the course of time.”
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