EXCLUSIVE: Meghan Markle 'Relieved' to Leave UK After 'Outsider' Royal Reunion
Meghan Markle is said to be happy to be back in the states.
Aug. 3 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle is said to have been "relieved" to return to California after her latest visit to Britain, with sources exclusively telling RadarOnline.com the Duchess of Sussex felt like an "outsider" while taking part in a long-awaited family reunion aimed at easing tensions with the Royal family.
While the visit marked a rare opportunity for reconciliation, insiders tell us Markle left the UK believing the atmosphere remained strained and that rebuilding trust would require far more than a single meeting.
Meghan Markle on the 'Outside Looking In'
Markle felt like an outsider during her UK reunion visit, insiders claim.
The ex-Suits actress 44, traveled to the UK with her children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, last month after her husband Prince Harry, 41, had arrived several days earlier.
During the trip, the Sussexes reunited with King Charles, 77, and Queen Camilla, 79, at a private family gathering, raising hopes that relations between the couple and the monarchy were beginning to improve after years of estrangement.
The meeting was the first significant family reunion in years and came after a prolonged period of public disagreements that began following Harry and Markle's decision to step back as senior working royals in 2020 and relocate to North America.
A source close to the Sussexes claimed: "Harry came away from the visit believing there is finally an opportunity to keep moving the relationship in the right direction, but Meghan's experience was much more complicated.
"She appreciated the chance to see family again, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she was still viewed as someone on the outside looking in. From her perspective, there is only so much effort one person can make before expecting it to be matched by the other side."
Prince Harry Urges Meghan Markle to 'Stay Patient'
According to sources, Prince Harry viewed the reunion with King Charles as a positive step.
Another insider claimed: "Harry is convinced that, despite the frustrations and disappointments they both experienced during the visit, it would be a mistake to let this opportunity slip away. He understands exactly why Meghan came home feeling hurt and emotionally exhausted, and he isn't dismissing those feelings, but he believes the meeting was still an important first step.
"In his view, relationships that have been damaged over several years are never going to be repaired after a single reunion. He keeps telling Meghan that now is the time to stay patient, build on the little progress that has been made and focus on the positives rather than the setbacks."
"Harry genuinely believes that if both sides continue making the effort, trust can slowly be rebuilt, even if the process takes far longer than either of them would like," the source added.
Another source said Markle believed the visit highlighted "just how much work remained before relationships within the family could genuinely recover."
Royal Rift Lingered On
Prince Harry urged Markle to remain 'patient' as they rebuild family trust.
The latest visit revived memories of the events that led to the Sussexes' departure from royal duties more than six years ago.
In January 2020, Harry and Markle announced they would step back as senior working members of the Royal family before relocating first to Canada and later to California, where they have since established a new life focused on commercial ventures, charitable work and raising their children.
The move, widely referred to as "Megxit," exposed deep divisions within the family that later became increasingly public.
Harry and Markle spoke openly about their experiences in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, their Netflix documentary series and Harry's memoir Spare.
Throughout those projects, the couple described feeling unsupported within the institution and spoke about the intense media scrutiny they believed contributed to their decision to leave Britain.
California Became Meghan Markle's Focus
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Prince Harry has remained committed to repairing long-term family relationships.
One of our insiders claimed Markle was now happy to have returned to California after the recent visit with Charles and Camilla.
The source claimed, "Meghan is genuinely pleased to have the visit behind her and to be back in California, where she feels she and the children have the stability and sense of normality they were missing during the trip. She has reached a point where she doesn't feel she should have to keep bending over backwards in the hope of winning acceptance.
"From her perspective, she has made repeated efforts to support Harry and engage with his family, but she believes those efforts haven't always been matched. She doesn't want to spend her time trying to prove herself to people who, in her view, have never fully accepted her, and she has no intention of continuing to apologize or seek approval when she feels she has been treated unfairly."
While Harry is said to remain determined to build on the recent reunion and continue repairing family relationships, those close to the couple claimed Markle's priority is protecting the life they have created in California, where she feels their children can grow up away from the pressures that came to define their final years as working royals.
