King Charles Accused of Making 'Legacy-Defining' Mistake by Allowing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to U.K.
King Charles was accused of 'rolling out the red carpet' for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Nov. 3 2026, Published 3:42 p.m. ET
King Charles III may be putting his royal legacy on the line by allowing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to return to Britain, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Royal biographer Tom Bower blasted the monarch as "weak," demanding Charles "tell them to leave" while making it crystal clear there is no royal comeback waiting for the couple who famously left their royal duties in 2020's Megxit.
King Charles Could Be Hurting His 'Legacy'
King Charles has been dubbed 'weak' in how he's dealt with the U.K. return of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
"People are not happy seeing their monarch being humiliated by Harry and Meghan," The Royalist podcast host Tom Sykes pointed out to Bower.
He alleged that Brits are watching their king "rolling out the red carpet, providing him with protection vehicles, giving him every courtesy of being a royal while saying he's not, appearing to be trying to have his cake and eat it," while referring to Harry.
"I mean that, fundamentally, this is turning into the really bad, legacy-defining decision of his reign, isn't it? Allowing these two back, not doing anything to stop it, and not even expressing any dissatisfaction with the situation," Sykes continued as Bower agreed, saying Charles needed to give the Sussexes the boot from Britain.
'He's Got to Decide to Get Rid of Them'
King Charles has made no attempts to stop the Sussexes from making public appearances in the U.K.
"I think absolutely, because that's the problem. He is weak. He hates confrontation. He feels undoubtedly guilt about the way that Harry was neglected during his childhood, especially after Diana's death. It's all together...It is a very, very great mess," the Betrayal author explained.
Bower noted that "in the past these things would all be concealed," referring to the drama between the king and his wayward youngest son, but with "24-hour media and all the rest of it, it's impossible to hide it."
"He's just got to make a decision. He's got to decide to get rid of them. Tell them to leave. Make sure that they don't believe that they can ever become royals here again," Bower declared. "That is the agenda that the palace has got to adopt, and the sooner the better."
King Charles Clarified Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are 'Private Citizens'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took offense to the king dubbing them 'private citizens.'
Although Bower called for stronger action, the king clarified his position on the Sussexes in a letter circulated to government officials, military leaders and Lord Lieutenants after Harry and Meghan's surprise return to Britain in late August after six years in California.
The Palace guidance, intended to "avoid doubt or confusion," stressed there was "no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," making it clear the couple was to be treated as "private citizens" with commercial and charitable interests, rather than working members of the royal family.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Continue to Make U.K. Appearances
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a visit to Nottingham, England.
However, Harry and Meghan's team released a statement claiming, "The Duke is understood to have taken particular issue with the notion that the couple was to be treated as private citizens."
"The Sussexes prefer the term 'public figures', and would have liked an acknowledgment that, on a personal level, they remained members of the Royal Family, despite no longer receiving public funding," the statement continued.
Harry and his polarizing wife have since embarked on a string of high-profile charity appearances, including an outing in Nottingham, England, that appeared designed to recreate the magic of their first official visit to the city in 2017, shortly after announcing their engagement.
