It’s been over four years since Prince Harry flew the royal nest for a new life in California with Meghan Markle. But, no matter how hard he tries and how many air miles he’s notched up trying to salvage his relationship with his family, the havoc he and Meghan have wreaked on the monarchy has seen the palace door of reconciliation firmly shut.
However, insiders now reveal that Harry, 39, is set to take drastic measures this summer as he plans to spend weeks in the UK in a final plea for forgiveness at any cost – even if that means putting his marriage to Meghan, 42, under strain as they’re forced to spend yet more time apart.
The source says, “Harry is going to have to return to the UK solo as it makes sense for him to take a longer trip. He’s convinced that if he spends a longer period of time there, he’ll have a better chance of reconnecting with his family.
“There’s talk of a month or so apart, which is going to be very difficult for them both as a couple. It might make for a pretty lonely summer. Even if they are still fully committed to their marriage, so much time apart is never easy.”
While their six-year marriage appears solid as they continue to build a family life in Montecito alongside their children – Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet – Harry and Meghan have been leading increasingly separate lives over the past two years.
The attacks and accusations that the couple levelled against the royals in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, and their subsequent 2022 Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, as well as Harry's 2023 memoir, Spare, saw the couple united in their scathing judgement of the royals and their bid to build their own empire Stateside.
However, while Meghan has continued to pursue her Hollywood dream, announcing her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, in March – which is set to officially launch this summer – and recently wrapping up filming for her new Netflix cookery show, Harry’s world has been torn apart by the recent cancer diagnoses of his father King Charles and beloved sister-in-law Kate Middleton earlier this year.
Now the source says that Harry, who has already visited the UK on two flying visits in 2024, is set to prioritise mending his broken relationship with his family – something Meghan is adamant she won’t be a part of.
The insider continues, “Harry is very anxious to go home and see his dad, catch up with his friends for his birthday in September and also pay a visit to his aunt, Princess Anne. But the situation hasn’t changed for Meghan.
“She’s respectful that Harry has to go back to his homeland for practical and emotional reasons, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to go with him. She’s got way too much on her plate with the brand and her new cooking show, as well as looking after the children. The last thing she needs is the stress of going back to the UK, where she fears she’d be heckled again in public, which she finds really painful.”
A poll in May showed the Duchess plummeting in popularity, with only 25 per cent of UK voters saying they liked her, but the reaction closer to home has been even frostier.
Returning to UK soil following the late Queen’s death in September 2022, photographs of Kate glaring angrily at Meghan while greeting mourners outside of Windsor Castle hit headlines.
It later emerged that Meghan had also been banned from the Queen’s bedside – cementing her isolation from the family and fuelling reports that the royals could no longer trust her.
But now the source says that despite building her brand on her royal name – even breaking a 64-year royal tradition by changing Archie and Lilibet’s surnames from “Mountbatten-Windsor” to “Sussex” last week – there is no love lost on Meghan’s side, either.
They add, “Meghan also doesn’t have it in her to spend time with people she knows there’s tension with. It’s just not going to happen.
“It will be hard on Meghan but there’s just no way she can face going with him. Harry would love for her and the kids to join him, but he’s very aware of how stressful it is for her and doesn’t want to force her into an uncomfortable position.”
While Harry remains estranged from his family – specifically his brother William, who Closer recently reported is “fiercely” protecting Kate while she continues to undergo chemotherapy treatment – he attended Charles’ Coronation solo last May, as well as seeing him during a 26-hour flying visit following his cancer news in February. Both trips saw Meghan remain in the US.
And despite Charles reportedly telling Harry that he was “too busy” to see him and attend his ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games at St. Paul’s Cathedral in May, the source says Harry is determined to finally mend the rift with his whole family.
The insider says, “England is important to Harry. He needs to prove he’s not turning his back on his country and family, and he and Meghan have agreed that the best decision is to endure time apart to do what’s best for them, even though she dreads the separation.
“No doubt it’s going to be a test for his marriage, but both he and Meghan are confident they can survive it just fine. “