They left the royal family in complete turmoil following their shock departure in April 2020 – but reports are growing that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are gearing up for a return to the UK this year, ahead of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
Last month, Harry, 37, filed a claim for a judicial review against a Home Office decision not to allow him to personally pay for police protection for himself and his family while in the UK.
And further reports claimed that Prince Charles, 73, had extended an invite to his son and daughter-in-law to visit the UK and stay at his home, so that he could meet his granddaughter – seven-month-old Lilibet – and spend time with grandson Archie, two.
It’s one of the first hints of thawing relations between The Firm and Harry and Meghan, after the couple sent shockwaves through the Palace with a number of scathing interviews about them last year.
Check out: the most shocking celebrity splits
Most shocking breakups of the decade - slider
1 of 30Louise and Jamie Redknapp
They were the British A-list couple that we thought would last but the world was stunned in July 2017 when Louise and Jamie Redknapp confirmed they'd split after 19 years together. Months later Louise opened up about the end of her marriage and following the end of the Redknapp marriage, it was reported that celebrities were refusing to sign up to the BBC show because of the Strictly curse.
2 of 30Cheryl and Ashley Cole
Cheryl and Ashley Cole first met in 2004 and quickly became an A-list couple. Two years later they tied the knot in an extravagant wedding. However, in 2010 following cheating allegations that were splashed across the media, Chez split from her footballer husband.
3 of 30Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin
Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin had been together for 23 years and married for 11 but in January 2018, the TV presenter confirmed he was filing for divorce following his rehab stint.However after a drink driving arrest, a second visit to rehab and liking a lot of shady tweets – the pair officially divorced nine months after splitting.
4 of 30Lenny Henry and Dawn French
At the beginning of the decade, Dawn French and Lenny Henry announced they were splitting after 25 years of marriage.
5 of 30Paul and Alex Hollywood
Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood and his wife Alex split after 20 years together. They'd previously split in 2013 after the GBBO star had an affair with his American co-star but they managed to patch things over and make things work. For a while.
6 of 30Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
We still can't believe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split in 2016 after ten years together and two years marriage. The couple are parents to six children; Maddox, 18, Shiloh, 13, Pax, 16, Zahara, 14, Vivienne, 11, and Knox, 11. Even George Clooney was stunned at the news; well, to be fair he did find out during an interview.
7 of 30Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green
We thought they'd be a real-life Romeo and Juliet (minus the death) but Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green called it quits after being married for three years. We weren't the only ones who thought they were a power couple; remember when Craig Lawson joked he'd be the next Pro Green and Millie with Camilla Thurlow? Yeah, that didn't last.
8 of 30Bruce and Kris Jenner
They're the head of the Kardashian/Jenner household but in 2013 the world was shocked when Bruce and Kris Jenner announced they had separated after 23 years of marriage. A year later, Kris filed for divorce and cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason. A month after their divorce was finalised, Bruce publicly came out as a transgender woman – Caitlyn.
9 of 30Katy Perry and Russell Brand
One of the most heart-breaking celebrity break ups was definitely Katy Perry and Russell Brand, after all, she found out their 14-month marriage ended via TEXT. Their entire split was shown on her documentary Part of Me and remarkably Katy still performed on stage just hours after Russell announced he wanted to end their marriage.
10 of 30Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom had only known each other for three weeks before they tied the knot. Yes, really. They lasted four years before the Keeping Up with The Kardashians star filed for divorce. However, in 2015 she withdrew the file after Lamar suffered a drug overdose and she had to take control of his health decisions. There were reports that the pair would reunite but in 2016 their divorce was finalised.
11 of 30Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
Kim appeared to have followed in the footsteps as her younger sister Khloe when she got engaged to Kris Humphries after just seven months. She documented her 'dream' wedding on Keeping Up with The Kardashians but their relationship didn't last and they split just 72 DAYS after their wedding. Their breakup was also documented on their show.
12 of 30Stormzy and Maya Jama
We're still devastated about Stormzy and Maya Jama splitting, tbh. They were the dream team and had been together for four years – despite being very private they appeared in Vogue magazine together and the grime artist dedicated a song to her. However in August 2019 they called it quits and the TV presenter unfollowed him on Instagram.
13 of 30Seal and Heidi Klum
Seal and Heidi Klum renewed their wedding vows every year on their anniversary however after a seven-year marriage they called it quits. The A-list couple are parents to four children; Leni (who Heidi had from a previous relationship, but Seal adopted) and during their relationship they also welcomed Henry, Johan and Lou into the world.
14 of 30Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray
After dating for 10 years and then being married for four, Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray called time on their marriage. The pair confirmed the news in a statement saying, "This was a very difficult decision, but was reached mutually and amicably. No other parties are involved."
15 of 30Liam Payne and Cheryl
We're pretty sure the world was shocked when Liam Payne and Cheryl announced they were dating. However they then went on to welcome baby Bear Grey Payne into the world and despite breakup rumours they posed together at the Brit Awards in 2018. Unfortunately a few months later – and a total of two years together - they split.
16 of 30Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy
This break up is still a bit weird and we're not really sure why it happened because – spoiler alert – they're not real people. Anyways, in 2015 the puppets announced the end of their relationship in a lengthy statement.
17 of 30Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Another KUWTK break up – this one more surprising than the others – was Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. The pair had been together for nine years and during that time they welcomed Mason, Penelope and Reign. They'd split a few times throughout their relationship – which included Scott doing to rehab and cheating allegations. However in 2015 they split for good.
18 of 30Cheryl and Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini
Cheryl literally surprised the world when she announced on Instagram that she had eloped with Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini after three months of dating. The pair seemed totally in love until Cheryl raised concerns among fans after losing a lot of weight and slammed any split rumours by revealing her father in law had died. Unfortunately their romance wasn't to last and after 18 months of marriage they split.
19 of 30Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Little Mix's Perri Edwards and One Direction's Zayn Malik were X Factor sweethearts. They supported each other's career, posted adorable snaps and even got a puppy together. The singers then got engaged but two years later – following cheating accusations and after Zayn quit One Direction – it came to light that he ended their relationship. While she claimed he dumped her via text, he denied it.
20 of 30Adele and Simon Konecki
She's notoriously private with her life but in 2019 is came to light that Adele and her husband Simon Konecki had split. Awhopping £145m is the figure being talked about in relation to their divorce. In 2012 they welcomed their only child into the world – Angelo.
21 of 30Chris Pratt and Anna Faris
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced they were splitting back in 2018 and a few months later their divorce was finalised. At the time they released a statement, saying: "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward."They went on to say they "still have love for each other".
22 of 30Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
Step Up stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan called it quits after being married for eight years. At the time they insisted they'd "lovingly chosen to separate as a couple". During their relationship they welcomed their daughter Everly into the world.
23 of 30Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk
We were devastated in June 2019 when one of the hottest A-list couples – Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk – split after four years together. Apparently the parents to their daughter Lea De Seine hadn't "been good for a few months".
24 of 30Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes dated for seven years and were married for six but in 2012 it came to light that she had filed for divorce. He later spoke out and admitted he "did not expect" the turn of events.
25 of 30Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Friends star Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux called it quits after being married for two years. At the time they said the "decision was mutual and loving" and it appeared to be the truth because a year later to paid tribute to his ex-wife to celebrate her 50th birthday.
26 of 30Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
Victoria's Secret model and Hollywood actor Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom broke up after six years together. After being married for three years they announced they'd been "amicably separated for the past few months" before confirming their relationship had ended.
27 of 30Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth lived a real-life story after falling in love on the set of The Last Song. However after four years together they split. They were then on/off but decided to call it quits AGAIN after eight years together. Their relationship didn't end there though because they reunited and got married but eight months after their wedding they split again.
28 of 30Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Another couple who took the world by surprise were Twilightstars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. They met on the set of the vampire phenomenon back in 2009 and fell in love. While we all thought it would last, it didn't. Their relationship hit a rough patch in 2012 when Kristen's affair with her married director Rupert Sanders was exposed by paparazzi. Robert forgave her and they tried to make it work but they split a few months later.
29 of 30Fergie and Josh Duhamel
After eight years together Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced their split. Fast forward two years and Fergie filed for divorce.
30 of 30Matt Leblanc and Aurora Mulligan
In news that shocked Friends fans the world over, In February 2022 it was reported that Matt LeBlanc - best known for playing Joey Tribbiani on the show – had split from his girlfriend of six years, Top Gear producer Aurora Mulligan.
News of the impending visit comes as the legal scandal surrounding Prince Andrew – who last month had his attempt at dismissing Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against him for sexual abuse – which he denies – thrown out of court – heaped more misery on the Queen. Last week, it emerged he’d insisted on a jury trial, meaning he’ll likely appear in court in the autumn to deny the charges.
Now royal biographer and expert Katie Nicholl – who wrote Kate’s biography, The Future Queen – tells Closer a visit from Harry and Meghan could “soften” the feud with the royals.
She says, “It’s already been a crisis year for the royal family, with all that’s going on with Prince Andrew. And it couldn’t be worse timing. I know the Queen was really keen to put on a united front and to celebrate the royal family this year, for the Jubilee. But it’s proving very hard to do that with all that’s gone on.
“Having the Sussexes back in the fold, in whatever capacity, even just for the attendance, would be really positive for the royals. Not only for the image, but for the family itself. While I hear that tensions are still very high between Harry and Meghan and the royals, I think there are discussions about how to soften things this year.”
Last year, Harry and Meghan, 40, shocked viewers around the world when they unleashed criticism on the royal family – stating in their infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey how a member of the family had had “concerns and conversations about how dark” their now two-year-old son Archie’s skin would be when he was born. Meghan also said she was told that, although she begged for help after contemplating suicide, “I couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution.”
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In particular, Meghan took shots at sister-in-law Kate Middleton, 40, and said, “A few days before the wedding [to Prince Harry], she was upset about the flower girl dresses, and it made me cry and it really hurt my feelings.”
Meanwhile, the couple’s biography, Finding Freedom, – which it recently emerged they’d colluded with authors on – said that Harry was hurt when William seemingly warned him about dating Meghan, and also said that Kate had “not shown much interest” in getting to know Meghan.
William, 39, was said to be “furious” over Harry and Meghan’s comments on Oprah, with him snapping back at a reporter days later, “We’re very much not a racist family.”
Despite the rift reportedly reaching fever pitch, Harry came face to face with William and Kate at his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral last April – where, although it looked strained, the brothers seemed to chat casually, with Kate appearing to have brought them together.
And now Katie says that while the reunion of Harry and Meghan and the Cambridges later this year will no doubt be tense and dramatic, Kate will be a key player in keeping the peace.
Katie says, “Harry and Meghan’s comments deeply, deeply hurt William, and William can be stubborn and emotional. While Kate was hurt too, she has always been a real peacemaker. She values family and has been really close with Harry over the years.
“There will no doubt be awkward conversations and briefings and discussions on how to handle Harry and Meghan’s return. Who knows whether they’ll play a part in the Jubilee? But I believe Kate will be a real key player in making peace with Harry and Meghan, even if it’s for show and just for the Jubilee. Tensions are high but Kate will do what she can to heal the rift. I know this year Kate and William – and Harry and Meghan too – will want to make things as easy as possible for the Queen.”
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With the Queen, 95, celebrating a special year – and also struggling with health issues towards the end of 2021 – Katie adds that Harry has a history of lashing out when emotional, and will be making an effort to keep things calm this year.
Katie says, “Whether Harry has regrets or not, I don’t know, but what I do know is that he has a history of lashing out at the establishment before. He’s talked about his 'accident of birth' and the 'burden of the crown'. He’s been critical in the past, but then goes quiet. I think since last year he’s paused and reflected. And he’s realised how much last year took a toll on his grandmother, and doesn’t want to cause any more upset, so is laying low for now.”