Jenna Bush Hager accuses Harry and Meghan for ‘lighting a match’ as they make shock UK return

Jenna Bush Hager has weighed in on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the UK, suggesting the couple’s decision to move back offers a cautionary lesson after their dramatic departure from royal life six years ago.

Speaking alongside Sheinelle Jones on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, the 44-year-old television host reflected on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to return to Britain for an extended period with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.

“It’s a lesson for everybody,” Jenna said. “When you leave something and say you’re never going back… [don’t] light a match.”

Her co-host Sheinelle recalled the very different circumstances surrounding Harry and Meghan’s departure in 2020, joking that their attitude at the time appeared to be: “We’re out. Hello, US.”

Jenna added: “They sort of threw whatever at the institutions that exist in the UK.”

“It’s hard to say things like that and then be like, ‘Well…'” she continued, throwing her hands in the air.

Harry and Meghan’s family reunion

The comments come after HELLO! confirmed that Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, are returning to the UK at the end of August for “an extended period,” with Archie and Lilibet also expected to attend school in Britain.

The move follows the family’s visit to the UK in July, when the Sussex children reunited with their grandfather King Charles for the first time in four years.

Jenna, who shares three children, Mila, 13, Poppy, 11, and Hal, seven, with husband Henry Hager, reflected on just how significant such a length of time can be in a young child’s life.

“Think about little kids’ lives, how much changes in four years,” she said. “It’s like, [they’re] totally different humans.”

The July reunion marked a significant development in Harry’s relationship with his father following years of tension within the royal family.

HELLO! can confirm King Charles was first made aware of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s plans on Sunday, and the monarch welcomes the opportunity to see more of Harry and his family in a private and personal capacity.

However, the move is not expected to herald a return to royal duties for Harry and Meghan, who remain non-working members of the royal family.

The Sussexes’ dramatic royal exit

Harry and Meghan stunned the world in January 2020 when they announced their intention to step back as senior working members of the royal family.

The couple subsequently relocated to California, eventually settling in Montecito, where they raised Archie and welcomed daughter Lilibet in June 2021.

Their departure was followed by a series of explosive revelations about their experiences within the monarchy.

In their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan spoke about her struggles with royal life and claimed there had been “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he’s born.”

Buckingham Palace responded at the time with a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, saying that “recollections may vary” while describing the issues raised, particularly those concerning race, as “concerning.”

Prince William was subsequently asked about the allegations during a royal engagement and responded: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

Harry’s revelations about Prince William

Relations between Harry and his older brother became even more strained following the publication of the Duke of Sussex’s memoir, Spare, in January 2023.

In the book, Harry detailed a number of intensely personal disagreements with his family, including an alleged physical confrontation with William at Nottingham Cottage in 2019.

The brothers’ relationship has remained fractured in the years since. Despite Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet spending time with Charles during their July visit, there was reportedly no reunion with the Prince and Princess of Wales.