Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have found new reasons to set foot on British soil once again, and one of them is meeting the newest royal baby. The other concerns the Duke of Sussex’s ongoing legal battle against the U.K. press.
Speaking on how the royal couple is feeling about their return to Prince Harry’s home country, royal expert Jennie Bond told The Mirror that the Sussexes could be “keen” to make the trip to meet Princess Beatrice’s newborn daughter, Athena, who is poised to shake up the Royal Family line of succession since arriving on Jan. 22, 2024.
The former senior royals, who haven’t traveled together to the U.K. since 2022, have largely remained in California, with Markle allegedly steering clear of the U.K. ever since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
Considering how close Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice are, Bond speculated that the Sussexes must have already received adorable snapshots of baby Athena. “I imagine that Beatrice has already pinged a picture or two [of Athena] to Harry and Meghan.”
Bond admitted she doesn’t believe the birth of Princess Beatrice’s child will spark an immediate visit, but she suggested that it might give Harry a reason to return in the near future. “I don’t think it will hasten a visit by them to the U.K., but perhaps if charity work or business brings Harry this way, he’ll be keen to meet his new cousin.”
Another royal expert, Bronte Coy, weighed in on the idea of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex finally making a joint return to the U.K. in an interview with The Sun. According to her, Prince Harry’s feelings toward his homeland appear to be shifting after staying in the U.S. for five years.
“A lot of things have changed in the past five years, and it’s entirely possible that, with some reflection, there’s a big part of him wondering if there’s a way to bring the U.K. back into his life.”
She also hinted that while the Sussexes left the U.K. in a “passionate blaze of glory” back in 2020, Prince William’s brother could now be looking at his roots with fresh eyes. “They were so disheartened and bruised by the situation they had back here,” she said, noting that time and distance may have given him a new perspective.
Amid all the buzz over the royal couple’s potential return to Britain, there is confirmation that Prince Harry is no longer heading back there in February. The Duke of Sussex was previously gearing up for a courtroom showdown against The Sun’s publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), in a high-profile trial set to last approximately seven weeks.
Harry sued NGN in 2019 over alleged unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking and other privacy breaches. The case is no longer moving forward due to his “monumental victory” after NGN conceded defeat even before the case could start trial.
Hello! magazine previously reported that despite Prince Harry’s planned trip, Markle had not chosen to join her husband, as she would rather stay in Montecito with their two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. Only time will tell at this point if Markle would reconsider returning to her husband’s birthplace for the sake of meeting the Royal Family’s newest member.
Published: Feb 1, 2025 08:13 am