Former royal butler Grant Harrold has exclusively told Us that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may, in part, be moving back to the U.K. to get closer to King Charles III.
“I imagine King Charles has played a part in their decision, and Harry wanting to spend more time with his father,” Harrold, 48, says. “I think behind closed doors Harry and the King have been working hard to heal their relationship. Only so much can be done when they live so far apart, so I think this is Harry making his dad his priority, which is really nice to see.”
He adds, “I think the King will be delighted to have his son and daughter-in-law closer to home. He’s well aware that their rift will never be healed when they’re only seeing each other once a twice a year, this is the next step that’s needed if they want to heal their relationship.”
It was reported earlier this week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to relocate from their current residence in Montecito, California, in time for their son Prince Archie, 7, and daughter, Princess Lilibet, 5, to begin school in the U.K. in September.
The Sussexes most recently visited with the King, 77, and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, England, on July 10 during Harry’s whirlwind U.K. trip to promote the Invictus Games. This was Charles’ first time seeing Harry and Meghan’s children in person in four years.
While Harrold suspects Charles will be “delighted” to see the Sussexes returning to the U.K., he hinted there may still be concerns about Harry’s ongoing rift with older brother Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton.
“I think the King will be concerned about William’s reaction. His biggest challenge is going to be acting as peace negotiation between his two sons,” the former royal butler predicts. “The King won’t just be thinking about the now, he’s thinking about the future.”
The king may have a tough task ahead of him since Harrold suspects that William, 44, may not be particularly willing to make peace with Harry, 41, at this stage following the shocking claims made in his book, Spare, and Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.
The Duke of Sussex, however, said that he wanted to mend fences amid Charles’ ongoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
“I doubt Harry’s move back to the U.K. is going to completely heal things between William and Harry. It will take a lot more than that. Too much happened,” he tells Us. “It will be a situation where actions mean more than words. William will need to see Harry continuously making an effort to heal the rift. Right now, I don’t see things healing. I think they will be poker faced and play happy families, but behind the scenes it will take a lot more.”
Brothers and Wives author Christopher Andersen exclusively told Us earlier this week that William and Kate, 44, may have been caught off guard by the Sussexes’ decision to leave their home base in Montecito. According to reports, Harry and Meghan plan to keep their California residence and vacation property in Portugal. (Harry and Meghan moved into their coastal estate after stepping down as senior working royals in January 2020.)
“All I can think of is: here we go again,” Andersen, 77, declared. “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.”
The royal expert hinted, “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.”
