The visit that will change the face of the royal family forever

If everything goes according to plan, this month one of the most intriguing media events that Britain has known in recent years will take place: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are expected to arrive in Britain as a family for the first time since 2022. The visit will take place around the countdown events of the Invictus Games in Birmingham, the initiative Harry founded for military wounded, and it may also include a particularly charged meeting With his father, King Charles III. Ostensibly this is another routine family visit, but in practice, it is expected to be no less than a historical test of the relationship between Prince Harry and his family. It’s a visit that comes after years of crisis, public accusations, an explosive memoir, revealing interviews and a relationship that has degenerated into one of the world’s most publicized family feuds.

The fact that Archie and Lilibet, the king’s grandchildren, are expected to arrive in Britain for the first time in four years – gives the visit a special meaning. King Charles saw his grandchildren only a few times, and Lilibeth, who was born in the United States, hardly knows Britain. Although Archie was born on the soil of the kingdom, he grew up in California most of his life. Last week it was reported in People magazine that King Charles is so excited about the visit that he has offered the Dukes of Sussex and their children to stay in a luxury royal property located around the palace.

And despite everything, optimism in Britain is cautious. Royal House commentators believe that the visit is unlikely to erase the deep rift, especially not with William and Kate, but may open a minimal family channel between Harry and Charles, and especially between the king and his grandchildren. To understand why a visit of several days manages to fascinate both the British and American press, you have to go back ten years, to the days when the relationship between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was considered a refreshing breath of fresh air in the ranks of the kingdom.

The Dukes of Sussex met in the summer of 2016 on a blind date mediated by a mutual company. Prince Harry was then one of the most popular people in the royal household. He had already served in Afghanistan, founded the Invictus Games and managed to build an image for himself that was different from that of the wild prince that characterized his 20s. Megan was then an American actress known for the TV series Suits, a divorced and independent woman who holds clear and firm opinions on social issues. The attraction between them was immediate, and after several secret meetings they flew to Botswana together – a trip that became part of their marital mythology. In the Harry & Meghan docu-series they created for Netflix, the two said that the distance from the media and the royal protocol allowed the relationship to develop quickly.

The commentators of the royal house believe that the visit is not expected to erase the deep rift, especially not with William and Kate, but may open a minimal family channel between Harry and Charles, and especially between the king and his grandchildren

Precisely in the beginning, when the relationship was just revealed to the public, Meghan was received with excessive enthusiasm and Britain saw her as a symbol of the modernization process that the royal house is going through. It seemed then that this was exactly what the palace needed: a mixed and articulate young American woman, with an independent career and a clean, modern and accessible style. She didn’t look like another character born into the protocol, but like someone who brings with her the spirit of the new world. In May 2018, the two got married at Windsor Castle in a magnificent ceremony that was broadcast to the whole worldand their wedding is still considered one of the most expensive and watched in history. The ceremony included elements that were foreign to the royal family until then, such as an African-American gospel choir and a bishop who gave a speech about love, equality and social justice.

Markle’s public image was at its peak in those years, and the married couple’s first official round of visits to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand was considered a great success. The British public’s love for Markle continued even when she chose her first charity project, a women’s cookbook The Hubb Community Kitchen that was published after the Grenfell Tower disaster, a huge fire that consumed a 24-story residential tower in North London and claimed the lives of 72 people.

Markle managed to establish her position as a figure who is connected to the community, immigrants, women and social issues, and not just to palaces and crowns. However, within a short time, the mistakes began to accumulate, and cracks were visible under the surface. According to repeated reports in the British press, staff members at the palace had difficulty adjusting to her direct, American style of work and complained of abusive behavior towards them. At the same time Meghan and Harry felt that the royal system does not protect them from the yellow media as much as it protects other family members.

One of the first mistakes was that the couple preach social values, but live completely differently themselves. For example, their private flights were criticized, while Harry often spoke out on issues such as climate and the environment. Later came the expensive renovation of their official residence, Frogmore Cottage and the many whimsies around it.

The boiling point was the high-profile departure of the royal house, dubbed Megxit (following Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union). As part of the move, Harry and Meghan wanted to continue to partially represent the Queen, but also to develop financial independence and a private career. Despite her intense love for her grandson, Queen Elizabeth refused to fully approve their request. She claimed that “you can’t be half inside and half outside”, and in simple words, you’re either a working royal, or you’re not. In her official statement on the matter, she emphasized that she supports the couple’s desire for a more independent life and that Harry, Meghan and Archie (before Lilith’s birth) “will remain much-loved family members.” At the same time, she clarified that it would not be possible to continue for a long time with the model they proposed.

About a year after the “magazine”, in March 2021, Harry and Meghan Markle gave one of the most talked about interviews of the last decade, when they sat down for an intimate and charged conversation with Oprah Winfrey at their estate in California. In an interview, Meghan revealed that she experienced suicidal thoughts during her time in the palace, and claimed that she did not receive support from the royal establishment. The couple spoke of a feeling of alienation, of strained relations with the rest of the family and of conversations held within the royal house regarding the possible skin tone of their son Archie even before his birth as an expression of racism. Harry added that he felt trapped within the system, and described in detail the disconnect between him and his father and brother.

The interview immediately became a global media event and placed the royal family in front of one of the biggest image crises in its history. Two years later, similar claims were also published in Harry’s memoir, Spare (“The Substitute”). The book included a long series of personal revelations about his father, his brother, Camilla and life inside the royal family. For the first time in modern history, a member of the British royal family revealed in great detail internal conflicts and secrets that silence, apparently, suits them.

In the eyes of their supporters, Harry and Meghan were considered true prophets who broke the cycle of silence. In the eyes of their critics, they turned the closeness and connection to the royal house into a commercial brand, and every time they claimed that “they want privacy”, they got another interview, released another TV series or a new book. The couple’s popularity, especially in Britain, deteriorated to a low.

So what actually happened there? According to Harry’s version, as recounted at length in the book, William was concerned that the relationship with Meghan was progressing too quickly and warned his brother not to be reckless, but this saw it as an insult to Meghan. In his book he even claimed that during one of their arguments, William physically pushed him and knocked him down. This claim shocked the British public because the brothers were for years considered a symbol of brotherhood, especially after the death of their mother, Princess Diana.

If the fight between the brothers is not enough, the relationship between the two sisters-in-law, Megan and Kate, has become one of the focal points of the conflict. Precisely at the beginning of Meghan’s journey in the palace, it was reported that the relations between the sisters-in-law are warm and pleasant, and in public appearances of both couples, they were seen as cooperating with each other. Here too, it didn’t last long. The rumblings already started around Harry and Meghan’s wedding, when reports were published about a conflict over the bridesmaids’ dresses. Even in the official photos of the wedding released to the public, Kate looks like someone who is “not happy” with the situation. It was initially claimed that Meghan made Kate cry in an argument over her daughter Princess Charlotte’s dress. In the famous interview with Oprah in 2021, Meghan changed the story, and claimed that it was actually Kate who made her cry, and then apologized and brought her flowers. An official and agreed-upon version of events has never been published, and the British public has developed an almost obsession with comparisons between them: the quiet and reserved Kate versus the direct and daring Megan.

Published reports claim that Meghan made Kate cry in an argument about the dress her daughter Princess Charlotte wore to the wedding, but in the famous interview with Oprah in 2021, Meghan changed the story, claiming that it was actually Kate who made her cry

The couple’s births also led to many tensions. The eldest Archie was born on May 6, 2019 at the Portland Hospital in London, one of the most prestigious private maternity hospitals in the UK. Since the days of Diana, and then also with Kate, the British public has become accustomed to an almost ritual image: the mother leaves the hospital hours after giving birth and presents the baby to the world. Diana did it with William and Harry, Kate did it with George, Charlotte and Louis – but Meghan refused to do it. Instead of facing the photographers, Harry and Meghan introduced Archie just two days after the birth in a much smaller and private event at Windsor Castle.

If the birth of Prince Archie was an anomaly, the birth of Lilith already symbolized the beginning of a new era. Lilibet Diana was born on June 4, 2021 at the Santa Barbara Hospital in California, about a year and a half after Harry and Meghan left Britain, and was Charles’ first granddaughter born on United States soil. Another drama took place around the name given to her – Lilibet, which was the most intimate family nickname of the queen, a name only the closest family members used. The BBC reported that the Queen was not asked in advance about the use of her name, but on the other hand, spokespeople for Harry and Meghan firmly claimed that Harry spoke to his grandmother before the announcement and that she was the first person in the family to be informed about the matter. Thus, even a gesture intended to honor the Queen became the focus of public controversy.

In an attempt to explain Harry’s behavior, the commentators return to the tragic event that shaped his childhood: the death of his mother Diana when he was only 12 years old. He himself repeatedly repeated the claim that the treatment of Meghan reminded him of what his mother went through in the last years of her life, including malicious rumors, invasion of privacy and obsessive surveillance by the media.

In recent years, the couple made a living through the Archewell Foundation, an organization operating in the fields of philanthropy, media and public advocacy. At the same time, Megan tried to build herself a personal brand based on lifestyle, home design and women’s empowerment. The idea is not new, as even before she met Harry she ran the successful blog The Tig where she wrote about food, travel, fashion, hospitality and health. When she entered the royal family, she had to close the blog, but two years ago she founded the American Riviera Orchard brand to sell hospitality and homeware, jams and spreads.

The launch was described as chaotic, and the British press joked that the brand was selling a dream and atmosphere over real products. A recurring argument was that Megan excels at creating anticipation, but struggles to turn it into a stable business. In an attempt to rehabilitate the image in 2025, Markle changed the brand name to As ever, and at the same time participated in a new series on Netflix in which she hosted famous guests in each episode and together with them she cooked, baked and did gardening work.

Since that iconic interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple’s visits to England have been few and far between. Harry came to his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021 (without Meghan, who was then heavily pregnant), and in 2022 the family arrived in full force for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations – the children’s last recorded visit to Britain to date. A few months later, Queen Elizabeth died, and the world watched intently as Harry and William walked side by side at the funeral. Many expected the death of the queen and the mourning to heal the rifts, but as mentioned, it did not happen.

After Queen Elizabeth’s death, the world watched intently as Harry and William walked side by side at the funeral. Many expected the death of the queen and the mourning to bridge the rifts between the brothers, but it did not happen

Despite everything, the 77-year-old King Charles is considered to have turned to peace. Despite the anger, he never attacked his son in public, and it is reported in the kingdom that he wants to restore relations, especially due to his advanced age and health condition. However, it is likely that not everything will go smoothly, and commentators report that he is having trouble forgiving his son for the things he said about his wife Camilla. As far as the palace is concerned, the attack on her was not only a family matter, but an injury to the legitimacy of the new monarchy, and especially to Camilla’s attempts to restore her image after years of hatred from the media and the public.

Either way, what is certain is that Charles is excited to meet his grandchildren again. It is likely that such a meeting will indeed take place, but it is not certain that it will be recorded for the media. It seems that the British people want a happy ending to this story, and they treat the upcoming visit as an opportunity for reconciliation.

Despite the anger, it is reported in the kingdom that King Charles wants to restore relations, especially due to his advanced age and health condition. However, he finds it difficult to forgive his son for the things he said about his wife Camilla

If everything goes relatively quietly, it can be cautiously estimated that both parties will choose to lower the level of the flames, and perhaps also take a step towards establishing more normal family relations. After all, six years after the magazine, it is hard to ignore the fact that everyone involved has changed. The Queen is gone, Charles is an aging king dealing with cancer, William is getting closer and closer to the day he will sit on the throne and require statehood accordingly, and Kate has also dealt with a health crisis herself.

Harry and Meghan are no longer considered refugees of the royal house, but a couple who have built a life, career and family for themselves across the ocean. The big question is not whether they will ever return to the royal family, because in practice, they have never ceased to be part of it. The question is whether the Mountbatten-Windsor family will be able to find a new way to live with the bloody wound left by the last few years, or whether the upcoming visit will become another headline, one of many.