Meghan Markle has been warned she faces an “exceedingly difficult choice” as her husband, Prince Harry, appears on the cusp of “burying the hatchet” with King Charles.
The Duke of Sussex will return to the UK next month amid swirling rumours of rapprochement and even a physical meeting with his father.
Meghan will not accompany her husband when he makes the trip, his first since suffering a legal defeat over security concerns earlier this year, to attend the 2025 WellChild Awards on September 8.
The Duchess of Sussex’s last visit to Britain, to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, left her feeling “not well” as it took her away from her children, Archie and Lilibet, for three weeks.
Meghan Markle faces an 'exceedingly difficult choice' over Prince Harry's potential rapprochement with King Charles
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For royal commentator Duncan Larcombe, Meghan’s difficulty in being apart from her children would continue to be an issue if Harry began to visit the UK more.
“Meghan clearly hates being apart from her children and when Harry has come to the UK, Meghan hasn’t come with him and has been blamed for snubbing Britain as a result,” he said.
The former royal editor felt that the Duchess: “Wants to be a hands-on mum and was never prepared to make the sacrifice that royal mums have to make.”
The expert argued this could become a more pressing issue for Megahn going forward if the Duke was to rebuild his relationship with the Royal Family.
The Duchess may have to choose between reconciling herself with the Royal Family or time apart from her children
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“If, and hopefully it’s a ‘when’ not an ‘if’, Harry starts to reconcile with his family over here, Meghan will ultimately face an exceedingly difficult choice,” Mr Larcombe began.
He suggested that the Duchess would either be forced to reconcile herself with the Firm or inevitably spend more time apart from Archie and Lilibet who would likely accompany their father on visits to the UK.
“Does she come with Harry and look the people she’s criticised in the eyes, which is going to be tough? Or does she allow Harry to come with the children and stay away?
“If it’s the latter, she would miss the children, and it would be interpreted as an enormous snub by Meghan herself and the rift then becomes more about her than Harry.
The Duke of Sussex will return to the UK on September 8
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“She faces potentially difficult choices if we’re getting to a state where Harry’s prepared to bury the hatchet,” Larcombe concluded.
Fresh rumours of rapprochement between Prince Harry and King Charles began in July when it emerged representatives of the father and son had met for apparent secret peace talks.
Later, it was reported that the Duke of Sussex had offered to share diary dates with the Firm in order to avoid engagement overlaps.
To that end, a source claimed: “Prince Harry’s team and the Palace have opened a line of communication, and there is every hope that father and son will see one another when the Duke returns to London in September.”
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A source has suggested there is 'determination on both sides' to bring the King and Prince Harry together
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“It’s clear there is now a determination on both sides to make this happen,” they told the Mirror.
"For the first time in a long time, there’s a genuine sense that reconciliation is within reach. "For the first time in a long time, there’s a genuine sense that reconciliation is within reach,” the source added.
“After 20 months apart, and with the King continuing his treatment, the feeling is that the time is right to take that step,” they continued.
The King and Prince Harry last met in January 2024, as Charles was undergoing cancer treatment.