Harry and Meghan ‘returning to UK that sees them very differently six years on’

When Prince Harry and Meghan left the UK for Montecito six years ago, the world was a different place.

Much of the world was in lockdown due to the Covid pandemic, Queen Elizabeth was still on the throne – and a decent slice of the UK public still quite liked the couple, who had recently stepped down as working royals.

As they prepare for their return this month, much has changed. Harry’s father Charles is now king; he and Meghan have another child, Princess Lilibet; plenty of dirty laundry has been aired.

And the public appears to have definitively changed its mind.

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Metro: ‘They’re now at the bottom, above only Prince Andrew – or former Prince Andrew – in popularity.

‘So, the polls give us a pretty clear indication of just how far they’ve fallen like a stone through public opinion.’

The couple’s 2018 wedding was ‘all about the Markle sparkle’, he said, which could mean they’re in for a nasty surprise: ‘I don’t really think they’ll realize until they get here just how unpopular they’ve become.’

Their fall has come as the result of endless negative press from limelight-grabbing moments including their Oprah Winfrey interview, the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare, and a Netflix documentary series.

Much of that focused on the couple’s willingness to tell behind-the-scenes stories that paint other members of the Royal Family – particularly Harry’s brother William, the Prince of Wales – in a negative light.

A significant rift reportedly still exists in the brothers’ relationship, though the Duke of Sussex is believed to be patching things up with King Charles with a private meeting last month at Highgrove House.

Mr Larcombe, who worked as a royal editor and has written a book about Harry, said the king is ‘probably cautiously optimistic’ about the decision to move the family back across the Atlantic.

However, he said he ‘can’t see any reconciliation with William as far as things stand’ after everything Harry and Meghan said during their time in California.

He added: ‘Harry told [ITV] in his interview, that the ball was effectively in the royal court – it was for them to reach out.

‘I think William feels the exact opposite of the case and that he’s owed an apology, his wife’s owed an apology, and if Harry and Meghan don’t give that apology and make the effort, I don’t think there’s any hope for the end of the rift.’

For Prince Archie, who was born a year before the move, and Princess Lilibet, who was born a year after, the family’s return to the UK may present a different opportunity.

Mr Larcombe said: ‘You have to hope that Archie and Lilibet will now have the opportunity to meet their cousins, to build some sort of relationship with the rest of the Royal Family, and to know where their heritage comes from and have an understanding of that, which I think in America they were very much shielded from.’

As for the rest of us, Mr Larcombe believes we’re likely to see a lot more of the couple once they settle back in the UK.

He said: ‘It’s difficult to see them coming to England and literally living a reclusive life, sort of hidden away in the Cotswolds, not being seen publicly.

‘Harry’s still got things like the Invictus Games and WellChild that he supports, and so he’s clearly still going to have a pretty high profile when he moves back to the UK.

I can’t see them hiding away. And if this was a desire to move out of the limelight, then the UK is probably the worst place they could choose.’

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