It seems Prince Harry is making inroads into a reconciliation with the royals – but it’s something that may leave his wife Meghan feeling somewhat ‘threatened’, a royal expert claims
As the Duke of Sussex works to build bridges with his family in the hope of returning to the UK more frequently, his wife Meghan is said to be bracing herself, “threatened” by the prospect of stepping back into the royal fold, as OK! reveals. Last week, Harry, 41, enjoyed a successful four-day solo visit to his homeland, meeting up with his father, King Charles, for the first time in 19 months.
Asked how his father was shortly after arriving at a reception for the Invictus Games, Harry – whose historic meeting at Clarence House lasted just 54 minutes – replied, “Yes, he’s great, thank you.” And he couldn’t stop smiling as he joked with guests at the central London reception – a marked contrast to the more solemn figure seen on previous UK visits.
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Harry’s trip and, crucially, his positive meeting with King Charles, sparked hopes that a reconciliation with the rest of his estranged family could be in the pipeline. But after former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said that Meghan, 44, “would feel somewhat threatened by her husband being drawn back into the royal circle”, a leading psychologist has warned that the mum-of-two’s past trauma could be triggered by such a move.
Meghan has spoken openly about her negative experiences in the UK. In her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, she revealed she felt lonely when she joined the royal family and “didn’t want to be alive any more”, but was refused professional help.
During the legal case over the publication of the handwritten letter from Meghan to her dad, Thomas Markle, documents filed by Meghan’s team revealed she also felt “unprotected by the institution” and “prohibited from defending herself” when she was pregnant with Prince Archie, now six.
According to psychologist Clare Deacon, Meghan’s traumatic experiences won’t “just disappear” because she relocated across an ocean. “It isn’t erased by distance, and even years later, stepping back into a space that once felt emotionally unsafe can activate past fears, doubts, and protective behaviours,” she says.
“If reconciliation [with the royal family] led to a return or increased UK presence, Meghan could understandably feel conflicted – torn between duty, identity and the peace she’s built since.”
She added that Meghan might feel at risk “of losing herself again” if she even temporarily steps back into her old life after “finding her voice and reclaiming her wellbeing”.
Just last week, a friend of the prince revealed he has not abandoned the fight to bring his family back to the UK, telling The Times, “He wants them to know their family here. He really would like to come back to the UK much more.”
The report also claimed that Harry is planning an “under-the-radar” approach to the security issue, and “the government should expect private ‘lobbying’ from the prince” to continue. But bringing Archie and Lilibet, four, into the equation is likely to be even more unsettling for Meghan.
Psychologist Clare, founder of therapy and coaching platform Happya, says Meghan’s instincts will be to shield Archie and Lilibet from any pain she has experienced herself, and therefore bringing them to Britain, even for a short visit, would be difficult.
If a UK visit becomes unavoidable, Clare adds, Meghan needs to “explore what feels unsafe, separating past experience from present reality”, and set firm boundaries for herself and her kids.
Harry, 41, has said he “would love” a reconciliation with his family. But after losing his High Court appeal over his security provisions while in the UK, he said he “can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK”.
In July, rumours of a possible reconciliation ramped up further after a meeting between senior aides from the King’s office and representatives from Harry and Meghan’s communications team.
Meredith Maines of the Sussexes’ California-based PR team and her UK counterpart, Liam Maguire, were pictured on the balcony of a private members’ club in London with Tobyn Andreae, the King’s communication secretary, having what were described as “secret peace talks”.
Last month, Meghan revealed she loves the freedom of living in Montecito, California, branding aspects of her life as a working royal while in the UK as “inauthentic”.
Whether the Sussexes ever fully make peace with the royals again may depend not just on Harry’s longing for home, but also on Meghan’s determination never to lose the freedom she fought so hard to reclaim.
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