Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's UK return signals ‘spectacular defeat’ as royal experts warn of William showdown
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's reported return to Britain could mark the ultimate reversal of Megxit.
Six years after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex walked away from royal life in pursuit of freedom, financial independence and a fresh start in America, royal experts told Fox News Digital their homecoming could expose the cracks in the life they set out to build. Back on royal turf, the Sussexes could also find themselves on a collision course with Prince William and Kate Middleton as old tensions threaten to resurface.
"There is no way to spin a move back to Britain as anything other than a spectacular defeat for the entire premise of Megxit," Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," told Fox News Digital.
The reported homecoming undercuts the very message Harry and Meghan sent when they walked away from royal life six years ago, according to the royal expert.
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"Harry set out to demonstrate that the monarchy needed him far more than he needed the monarchy. His return delivers precisely the opposite conclusion," she said.
"Remember what Megxit was supposed to represent. Freedom. Financial independence. Global influence. A dazzling new life without the constraints of the institution," Schofield reminded. "They weren’t forced into exile. They chose this."
Schofield argued that after years of trying to build a life independent of the monarchy, returning to Britain only underscored how difficult it had been for the couple to escape its pull.
"Perhaps the most humiliating part is that Harry and Meghan left Britain seemingly convinced the monarchy was an anchor around their ankles," she said. "Six years later, it increasingly appears that the monarchy was the life raft."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly preparing to move back to the U.K., with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, expected to start school in Britain in September.
But the couple won't return to any semblance of the life they held before, according to one royal expert.
"While Harry and Meghan are returning, they are not regaining official royal roles," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "Nor was there any agreement to a 'half-in, half-out' construct. They have thwarted by trying to do what they agreed to with Queen Elizabeth II."
If a return to royal duties was off the table, Harry's motivation for coming home could be far more personal.
One royal expert wondered if Harry's desire to spend more time with his father had shifted the prince's priorities after feeling homesick for some time. But a return to Britain would put Harry and Meghan firmly back under the royal microscope, he warned, with both the public and the palace watching their every move.
"In many ways, it’s going to be a game of chess. What is Harry’s next move? What is William’s next move? What is the king’s next move?" Grant Harrold, former butler to King Charles III who is speaking on behalf of CanadaCasino, told Fox News Digital. "But you couldn’t write this. It’s almost like a political drama, and it’s incredibly interesting because this is something we haven’t really seen before."
"If it goes wrong, it could be catastrophic for the royal family," he added. "But if it is handled correctly, perhaps this could be the beginning of something very different."
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But any hopes of a royal reset could hit a major roadblock with the Prince and Princess of Wales.
"I don’t think William and Catherine will be pleased by the news and I don’t think this return signals a warming of relations between the brothers," Harrold mused.
Harrold wasn't alone in pouring cold water on hopes of a family reconciliation.
"Unfortunately, reconciliation doesn't seem to be on the cards," Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. "Is Harry and Meghan's next rebrand in the U.K. one final grenade too many for the monarchy."
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The British broadcaster and photographer added, "It is clear that Harry and Meghan's Freedom Flight and affairs in the US have not gone to plan, and it is viewed that they are returning to the U.K. with their tail between their legs. They need their royal platform to give them credibility to sell their brand, so maybe it's not extraordinary that the prodigal son and daughter-in-law are relocating to the U.K."
Whatever the circumstances behind their return, another royal commentator warned the Sussexes could quickly reclaim the spotlight in Britain – potentially at William and Kate’s expense.
"This is going to be a massive story in Britain and will overshadow William and Kate and their PR drive which will make William furious," royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
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Turner predicted Harry and Meghan’s return would unleash a media frenzy in Britain as the press scrambled to uncover where they planned to live, where their children would go to school and how the Sussexes would handle – and pay for – their security. He said the attention could also ignite a fresh battle for the spotlight between Harry and Meghan vs. William and Kate.
"In my mind, it will be a head-on clash between the House of Wales and the House of Sussex on popularity stakes where King Charles and Camilla will stay well out of it, if they have any sense," the royal expert added.
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Yet fighting for the spotlight could be the least of their problems, as questions swirled over how the Sussexes would actually pull off life in Britain.
"Why would Harry not try and resume a royal role if he's going to all the trouble of relocating? Why does anyone think Meghan could adjust to the pressures of living in the U.K. when she couldn't before?" royal expert Christopher Andersen questioned.
"Having her children hounded by Britain's tabloid press would only make things that much worse," the author of "Kate!" added. "Having the rest of the royal family looking over their shoulders would be a nightmare, especially for Meghan. Besides, Meghan is truly happy in Montecito. She's a California girl through and through."