Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly unable to return to their royal lives due to lingering tensions and past grievances. According to recent reports, the Duke of Sussex, who has expressed a desire to take on a more active role within the royal family, may face significant challenges—particularly due to his wife, Meghan Markle.
Royal commentator Richard Eden, writing in his column for The Daily Mail, suggests that some members of the British establishment remain reluctant to fully welcome Harry and Meghan back into the royal fold. Eden speculates that while Harry has shown interest in reconnecting with his family—especially in light of King Charles’s cancer diagnosis—past bitterness between the couple and the royal family remains a significant obstacle.
Following the revelation of King Charles’s illness in February of the previous year, Harry reportedly expressed, through friends, his willingness to temporarily step into a royal role to support his father. However, this offer was not accepted. Despite his eagerness to spend more time in the UK and rebuild family ties, the tensions from past conflicts continue to create barriers to his reintegration.
Eden also highlighted that the late Queen Elizabeth II made substantial efforts to welcome Meghan when she first joined the royal family. The Queen personally invited Meghan to accompany her on royal engagements in Cheshire and entrusted her with significant patronages, including as patron of the National Theatre and vice president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust. Despite these gestures, longstanding tensions between Harry, Meghan, and the royal family have made their return to official duties increasingly difficult.
The couple’s departure from royal life and their subsequent public revelations about their struggles have had a lasting impact on their relationship with the monarchy. While there is growing speculation that Harry still hopes to reconcile with his family, it remains uncertain whether this desire alone will be enough to overcome the challenges that have arisen since their departure.
Ultimately, while Prince Harry may wish to play a more active role in the royal family—especially during his father’s health crisis—his and Meghan’s past experiences continue to complicate the possibility of such a return. As unresolved tensions persist, the prospect of them reintegrating into royal life seems increasingly unlikely.
