When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal responsibilities and left England, it caused serious ripples throughout the world. Those ripples continue to affect many lives. And none, perhaps, more so than the lives of Harry and Meghan.
That is clear when it comes to the topic of Harry returning to England. The controversial royal couple is scheduled to visit the U.K. on September 5 for the One Young World Summit. This is a special charity event that will bring together nearly 200 national leaders from around the world.
During the trip, the two will attend an Invictus Games event in Germany. And both of them will be playing very active roles during the visit. Meghan will be giving a keynote address at the One Young World summit and Harry will be giving a speech at London’s WellChild awards.
While the two sound “all in” on this upcoming trip, there was much drama and speculation about Harry going back to the U.K., especially when it came to Meghan Markle’s feelings. Why was she so worried about a return to the U.K., and how might this shape their future trips? Let’s find out!
Meghan’s “bittersweet” feelings about Harry’s return to the U.K.
At first glance, the idea of Meghan wanting to keep Harry from returning to England sounds pretty negative. In fact, it feeds into the narrative that she is controlling and manipulative of her husband… a narrative frequently pushed by her many haters.
The real reason Meghan wants to keep Harry in the U.S. is a bit more nuanced than that. According to Marie Claire, a source close to the royal couple claims that the idea of Harry returning to England, including returning to Balmoral to see the Queen, makes Meghan feel “bittersweet.”
Why bittersweet? On one hand, both of them getting an invite to royal events “fuels her and Harry’s confidence that they are very much still part of the family.” However, after “so much time away, [Meghan] fears Harry will be lured back into the fold and want to return to the U.K.”
Does this mean Harry would want to leave his new home and return to the U.K. for good in the future? According to the source, “Meghan doesn’t doubt that Harry is committed to spending the rest of his life in America but does have certain trepidation over how these types of visits can pull at his heartstrings.”
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Harry and Meghan’s return to the U.K. comes sooner than expected
It’s not like Harry and Meghan haven’t returned to the U.K. before. So, why does this upcoming trip to the One Young World Summit come as a surprise to so many?
The last time these two were in the U.K. was for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. As InStyle reports, insider sources claimed that the two were “low-key,” most likely due to the ongoing fallout of Megxit. “They aren’t part of the [working] royal family anymore, and that’s a decision they have taken — but maybe [the public] hasn’t quite accepted that yet.” Rather than making a big deal about their visit, the two simply “paid their respects and went home.”
Still, Harry and Meghan got some face time with the Queen, and she was reportedly very excited to meet her granddaughter, Lilibet. But because the two didn’t take part in events like the Trooping the Colour parade or the royal carriage processing.
With the upcoming September trip, it seems they are both comfortable about taking a more prominent international role. Meghan is no longer worried about losing Harry and, thanks to relatively new development, Harry may be less worried about losing his life!
Harry’s legal victory regarding police protection
Another thing that may have kept Harry and Meghan from returning to the U.K. very often was a practical concern about security. After the two stepped back from most royal responsibilities, they lost their taxpayer-funded police protection. Neither Harry nor Meghan had any real objections to this. However, the Home Office later clarified that the two would not be able to pay for police protection out of their own pockets.
Harry challenged that decision, and as Reuters reports, the prince won a legal victory in July. The High Court must now review his challenge and render a decision, though no date has been set yet for that review.
Unfortunately, that means that Harry and Meghan won’t be able to pay for their own local police protection when they visit in September. They will still be bringing the private security team that keeps them safe in the United States. However, if Harry eventually wins his case, he will be able to hire a U.K. team when he returns, and that team will have more effective jurisdiction and better access to national intelligence resources.
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