Meghan Markle has one condition for returning to the UK with Prince Harry: experts
There’s only one way Meghan Markle will ever set foot in the U.K. again, royal experts told Fox News Digital.
Prince Harry, who is expected to be in Birmingham, England, for the one-year-to-go celebrations marking the Invictus Games kickoff this summer, hopes to have the Duchess of Sussex by his side, People magazine reported.
No decision has been made on whether the mother of two will travel to the U.K. in July. A spokesperson for Archewell told Fox News Digital, "These reports are entirely speculative."
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Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," told Fox News Digital that the "Suits" alum will only return to the U.K. if she’s assured of receiving automatic armed security. Prince Harry has previously said he doesn’t feel safe bringing his wife and their two children — Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — without sufficient protection.
"If Meghan were to travel to the U.K. under the current RAVEC protocol — which requires 30 days’ notice to assess threat levels — I am confident that both Harry and Meghan would receive armed security for an Invictus appearance," Schofield said.
"However, the recent surge of headlines suggesting that Meghan will only return if RAVEC reverses its original ruling and grants automatic security appears to be an attempt to influence the committee’s latest threat assessment," she added.
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"While Prince Harry receives armed protection during most of his U.K. visits, the issue for the couple is the lack of automatic armed security," Schofield claimed. "They object to having to request protection on a case-by-case basis. This outcome was clearly outlined as a consequence when they chose to step back from their roles as working members of the royal family."
The decision to deny Harry full-time armed protection while in the U.K. could soon be reversed.
"It’s now a formality. Sources at the Home Office have indicated that security is now nailed on for Harry," one insider previously told the Mail on Sunday. Sources also told People magazine that "positive" considerations were being made by the governing body regarding the possible reversal.
A review is currently underway.
"I feel talks are underway to open the doors for Harry and Meghan to return to Britain as part of King Charles’ legacy to unite the family while he has the power and strength to do so," royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
"Meghan will want many assurances, especially about how she is treated and how she can bring her own individuality with her," he said. "Security is one of the biggest issues. I see encouraging signs that the heated moments of the past have cooled. I also believe Harry has asked King Charles to open the Invictus Games."
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Meghan, 44, typically accompanies her husband to support his Paralympic-style games and has attended previous countdown events. The couple also attended the one-year-to-go celebration in 2022.
People reported that Harry wants increased taxpayer-backed security for his family, which they lost after their royal exit.
Harry has been estranged from his family since he and Meghan stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. They cited intense media intrusion and a lack of palace support as reasons for their departure.
Since settling in Montecito, California, the couple has aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harry’s 2023 memoir, "Spare," which revealed intimate details about the House of Windsor, further strained his relationship with the royals.
Sources close to Harry told People magazine that the king wouldn’t respond to his phone calls or letters. Royal experts previously told Fox News Digital that Harry and his older brother Prince William were not on speaking terms. Harry, 41, told the BBC in May that he is ready for reconciliation.
While Charles may welcome a reunion, Schofield claimed Meghan can expect a cold reception from other members of the royal family.
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"I don’t think we would see the working royals even acknowledge their presence," she said. "The Sussexes’ credibility has been bruised over the last few years, and the royals want to keep their distance. ... She felt rejected by Harry’s family and country and wants to focus on her U.S. aspirations."
"Meghan is typically there to support Harry’s countdown to Invictus, but I have a hard time believing she will show up this time," said Schofield. "I don’t believe Meghan will travel to the U.K. for this event. I don’t believe she will be there."
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital it’s unlikely many Britons will give the American duchess a warm welcome back.
"It’s a risky move," Fordwich said. "She will be viewed as divisive at best. She is smart and knows she will be entering a frightfully hostile environment. ... The royals are also beyond wary."
"Prince William blames Meghan Markle for escalating their private tensions into a highly public media circus," Fordwich claimed. "He has no tolerance for reconciliation."
"The public could be angry and annoyed at Meghan for her treatment of the royal family," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
"She will not receive a good reception. Meghan and Harry’s [past] behavior is not water under the bridge. If Meghan were to travel to the U.K., I believe the trip would be a purposeful short trip."
Schofield said Meghan’s biggest obstacle remains winning over the British public.
"Meghan knows she’s not very popular in the U.K.," Schofield claimed. "She was audibly booed at one of the last times she visited. She is trying to avoid public humiliation more than anything."
"Meghan’s biggest obstacle would be winning over the public unless hell freezes over and working members of the royal family show up to support Harry. In that case, her biggest obstacle would be the humbling curtsy that would be required of her."
Fordwich agreed.
"I’m rather skeptical Meghan will be there," she said. "The last time Meghan was in the U.K., she had to endure being booed as she descended the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Her ratings haven’t improved since then. In fact, she’s further plummeted in the polls. Being booed again would be frightfully damaging to her brand with huge reputational risks."
Meghan was last in the U.K. for the funeral events of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. Archie and Lilibet have only been back to Harry’s home country once since the couple left for the late queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June of that year. They are being raised in California.
Harry’s ongoing struggle to reinstate his security has contributed to his estrangement from his father, according to People. Harry believes the monarch could influence the decision. However, Buckingham Palace has repeatedly denied that Charles, 77, has the power to reinstate his security.
The Duke of Sussex will be in London on Jan. 19 for his ongoing court battle with Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Meghan is not expected to join him during the trial.