A royal expert is shedding light on how Prince William and Kate Middleton are likely reacting to the news that their estranged family members Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the U.K.
“All I can think of is: here we go again,” Brothers and Wives author Christopher Andersen exclusively tells Us. “For starters, I can only imagine that William and Kate are tearing their hair out. They have so much on their plate as it is trying to shore up the monarchy and propel it into the future; they don’t really need to cope with having Harry and Megan on their proverbial doorstep.”
Andersen, 77, added, “By returning to the U.K., the Sussexes will inevitably suck up all the oxygen in the room. They will generate countless tabloid stories and take the focus away from other members of the Royal family, which is a major no-no. King Charles and Queen Camilla, in particular, don’t like to be upstaged, and the same goes for William.”
It was reported earlier on Wednesday that Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, intend to relocate later this month to the U.K. after spending six years in Montecito, California. People reported that the Sussexes plan to stay in the U.K. for an extended period, with their son, Prince Archie, 7, and daughter, Princess Lilibet, 5, expected to enroll in school there in September. (The royal will reportedly keep their home in Montecito as well as other international properties.)
“There are the obvious privacy concerns. If Archie and Lilibet are actually enrolled in school in the UK, then that is where Harry and Meghan will be based full-time, period,” Anderson told Us. “We all know how that turned out the last time. Meghan was miserable trying to cope with British sensibilities and England’s often savage tabloid press.”
The royal watcher continued, “As parents, Harry and Macon have made it clear that they don’t even want their children’s faces shown on a Christmas card. We still don’t have a clear idea of what Archie and Lili look like, which seems absurd given the fact that the faces of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have been known to us all since birth. How do Harry and Megan plan to shield their children from paparazzi crouching behind cars and lurking in the shadows? It is bound to be a nightmare.”
“The Sussexes have made it crystal clear that they love their life in California. Are they really willing to give all that up?” Andersen questioned.
Anderson suggested that the Sussexes’ move is bound to raise “security concerns,” especially considering Harry’s longstanding fight to receive public-funded security personnel for his family while in the U.K. after he walked away from his royal duties as a senior member of the monarchy.
“Unless the King has decided to provide for royal protection out of his own pocket – and there is no indication that he has — Harry will have to foot the bill for private bodyguards, and in the end that could cost millions,” Andersen pointed out. “This news of a sudden move back to the UK also begs the question — why do it in the first place if you are not going to at least try to resume royal duties? Apparently, Harry has said he won’t have a royal role, so what’s the point? “
Andersen theorized that Harry and Meghan’s decision may be rooted in a desire to return to royal life in some capacity. (The couple announced on January 8, 2020, that they were stepping down as working royals.)
“It is possible that this is Harry and Meghan’s way of forcing the royal family’s hand,” the author noted. “With Harry and Meghan right under his nose and getting constant coverage in the British press, the King may be compelled to find a way to welcome Harry back into the fold. Of course, that doesn’t mean that William is OK with his brother having any Royal role at all. There is still bitterness there. All is not forgiven.”
Us has reached out to Buckingham Palace as well as Harry and Meghan’s representatives for comment.
Harry’s decision to return to his home country is a sharp turnaround from comments the prince made during a May 2025 interview with the BBC. At the time, Harry had lost an appeal for security for his family in the U.K.
“I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” Harry told the BBC at the time. “I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done.”
Since that time, he reconciled with his father, King Charles, during a visit to the U.K. in September 2025. More recently, Harry and his whole family visited with the King and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, England, on July 10. (King Charles was reunited with his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for the first time in four years during their visit in July.)
“The King and Prince William were apparently gobsmacked by the announcement. Oh well, here comes the drama,” Andersen said. “The Palace is scrambling to make sense of this. After all, it was not that long ago that Meghan and the children cut short their stay in the U.K. after a meeting with the King and Queen that was described as perfunctory.”
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