Royal Family warned against 'appalling' reunion with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Christmas
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A reunion between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the Royal Family could “appal” the British public, a royal commentator has warned.
There has been speculation that the Duke of Sussex, who will turn 40 this month, will want a fresh start with his family back in the UK, especially in light of his father’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
Insiders have claimed that Harry is considering turning to trusted allies to help ease his return, mapping out a “blueprint” for the timeline of his homecoming.
However, Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal biographer, has said that any return would be met with mixed fanfare.
He said that although Harry and Meghan’s return could reignite “disillusioned” young people’s interest in the monarchy, others may not be so pleased.
Speaking to The Daily Express, he said: “Most supporters of the monarchy would be appalled at the prospect of the Sussexes appearing at Trooping the Colour or at Christmas.
“Their presence would surely detract from the serious work the royal family does throughout the year too.”
The Duke of Sussex moved to the US via a short spell in Canada in 2020 after stepping down as a working royal. He now resides in Montecito with his wife and two children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.
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The Royal Family have been warned against an 'appalling' reunion with Harry and Meghan
GettySources close to the Duke of Sussex had previously claimed he is “turning away from all sorts of Hollywood publicists” and seeking counsel from “old friends and associates”.
The source told the Mail on Sunday: “He is clearly reaching out thinking, ‘I need to do something different because what I'm doing is clearly not working’. In short, he is rethinking the way he operates.”
However, multiple sources close to the duke have insisted that this is not the case, and he is happy and settled in California.
“Well-placed sources” told The Telegraph that Harry has “no interest” in returning to royal duties and has an “amazing” new set of friends and several projects on the horizon.
Harry also recently said that he would not consider bringing his family back to the UK due to security concerns.
In July, the 39-year-old said that it would be “dangerous” to bring his wife and children back to the UK.
In a new documentary, Tabloids on Trial, the Duke said: “It's still dangerous. All it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read. Whether it's a knife or acid, these are things that are of genuine concern for me.
“It's one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country”, he said during the sit-down interview which aired on July 25.
When the Duke of Sussex stepped down as a working royal in 2020, he was subsequently stripped of his Metropolitan Police bodyguards.
The Ravec committee, who decide on security for royalty, VIPs and senior public figures, ruled that Prince Harry should have a “bespoke” arrangement for his publicly-funded security when in the UK, as he was no longer eligible for the level of protection for working royals.