Meghan Markle Worries the Royal Family Will ‘Manipulate’ Prince Harry Into Returning to The Firm
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal fold in 2020.
Nov. 1 2024, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently purchased a home in Portugal, fueling rumors the Sussexes could be contemplating a return to royal duties.
Prince Harry traveled to the U.K. for his existing patronages without Meghan Markle.
“Buying in Portugal is a shrewd move for Meghan. She’s deeply concerned that the royal family might manipulate Harry into reintegrating without her, so she needs to be proactive to make sure she’s not isolated or pushed to the sidelines," an insider told an outlet.
“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 source added. “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.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in 2018.
OK! previously reported royal biographer Robert Hardman thinks the Duke of Sussex working for his family isn't out of the realm of possibilities.
"People keep asking, 'Could Harry come back into royal life? Could he do this? Could he do that?' You never say never with the royals," Hardman explained. "But I think a good starting point is to get back to a situation where it's perfectly normal for Harry to visit the U.K. and see his father with [his] kids, and Meghan [Markle], too, if she wants to."
While Harry has traveled to London for his patronage, Meghan hasn't visited the region since Queen Elizabeth's 2022 funeral.
"We… sense that she doesn't like coming to Britain at all," Hardman claimed. "But if you get to a situation where they come over now and then to see granddad — once it happens once or twice, and it becomes normalized, they can start building from there."
"It's going to be a slow burn, yes, but no, the door is not slammed shut," he added.
Prince Harry has security concerns about returning to the U.K. with Meghan Markle.
Harry and Charles met in February after the king was diagnosed with cancer, but Harry and William are believed to not be on speaking terms.
"William is less radical than his dad," the commentator stated. "They do things differently. They have their own different opinions on certain things… But they work as a team."
"It all goes right back to the night that Queen Elizabeth II died [in 2022] and the royal family gathered at Balmoral Castle. Everyone is sad having dinner — except Charles, [Queen] Camilla and William," Hardman stated. "They’ve gone to Charles’ place to map out what will happen next from that moment on. They’ve said to each other, ‘We have to be a team.’"
A source claimed Prince Harry had the 'birthday blues' on his 40th.
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An insider told royal expert Neil Sean the veteran had "the birthday blues" when he celebrated turning 40 in the U.S.
"Harry was keen to get some opinion on exactly where he stands within the U.K. market and admitted to my source that he had birthday blues about hitting 40, but also added that he was excited about the next decade," Sean shared. "The source described his reasoning as being 'basically nobody knows where life is taking them, right?’"
Sources spoke to Closer.
