Prince Harry ‘extremely unlikely’ to bring Archie and Lilibet on UK visit for simple reason
The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry’s children Archie and Lilibet aren’t likely to ever be reunited with the wider royal family unless Meghan Markle visits the UK with them, a royal expert claims
Prince Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
Prince Harry ‘extremely unlikely’ to bring Prince Archie and Princess Lillibet without Meghan Markle
Prince Harry will be ‘extremely unlikely’ to ever bring his children Archie and Lilibet to the UK without his wife Meghan Markle’s approval, according to a royal expert.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from royal life in 2020 and have now settled in Montecito, California and it seems unlikely they will ever fully return. Meghan is also thought to be less than keen to visit the UK, whilst husband Harry has made a handful of trips since they stepped back from royal duties four years ago.
Son Archie moved to the US before he was one, with the family first moving to Canada before later settling in California. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams has now revealed that it isn’t likely a family reunion for the youngest Sussexes could ever happen as the Duke is unlikely to bring them to the UK without his wife by his side.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their children Archie and Lilibet
The Sussexes live in Montecito, California and are ‘extremely unlikely’ to ever return to the UK (Image: alexilubomirski/Instagram)
Harry and Meghan with their son Archie in 2019
Son Archie was born in the UK in 2019, but has lived most of his life in the US away from the royal family (Image: Toby Melville – Pool/Getty Images)
Speaking to The Sun, the royal biographer explained: “Meghan has the say.” He then explained that Harry wants to “convey he is a very devoted family man and will put them above everything else”. The royal expert continued: “If Meghan didn’t want to come she could never be forced to. It would be extremely unlikely Harry would come over with the kids without Meghan.”
The comments come as it has been revealed that Prince Harry will visit the UK next month to celebrate 10 years of the Invictus Games in May, and it’s likely that Meghan will not accompany him. Meghan has made a return to the UK since the pair stepped back from their royal duties in 2020 but only on rare occasions which included Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. However, she did not return for King Charles III’s coronation last year, which Harry attended alone.
Reluctance from the Duchess to visit the UK may also be linked to security concerns, which follow after Prince Harry lost his battle at the UK High Court earlier this year against the Home Office and RAVEC following downgrades to his security after he stepped back from being a working royal. The Duke had been trying to overturn a ruling which saw his security status downgraded after he stopped being a “working royal”, as he cited concerns over his safety and that of his wife and two young children. Harry’s legal team previously told the High Court: “The claimant’s consistent position has been, and remains, that he should be given state security in light of the threats/risks he faces.”