Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's UK return puts spotlight on King Charles, Prince William tensions
Prince Harry and Meghan's planned move back to the United Kingdom has quickly turned a spotlight on the royal family tensions that were widely seen as playing a part in their decision to leave the U.K. six years ago.
Neither Harry's father, King Charles III, nor his brother, Prince William, have commented publicly on reports that Harry, Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, are moving to the U.K. from California, where they have lived since stepping away from their senior royal roles in 2020.
Harry and Meghan have also not commented publicly on their planned move, which ABC News learned Charles was informed about on Sunday -- just days before it was first reported by the The Telegraph on Wednesday.
Members of Britain's royal family -- including Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, and William and his wife, Princess Kate -- are currently spending time together in Balmoral, their residence in Scotland, for their annual summer holiday.
A source familiar with the matter explained that the king is looking forward to seeing more of the family when they are back, but the couple are not expected to return to royal duties.
Harry and Meghan have made only two visits to the U.K. with their children since 2020, once in 2022 to attend the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee and again this past July.
Charles and Camilla hosted the Sussex family during the latter trip, marking their first time seeing Meghan, Archie and Lilibet in person in four years.
Neither Buckingham Palace nor a spokesperson for the Sussexes have commented on the family meeting.
Harry is known to have visited with Charles in the U.K. over the years, particularly after Charles' cancer diagnosis was announced in 2024. The duke and William, Harry's only sibling, have kept their distance from each other.
The last time the brothers are known to have been in each other's company was in August 2024, when they both attended the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in Norfolk, England.
Shortly after leaving his senior royal role, Harry described a strained relationship with some royal family members, particularly his once-close brother, in the tell-all interview he and Meghan gave to Oprah Winfrey.
During the interview, the couple revealed Meghan's serious mental health struggles as a royal, made an allegation of racism within the royal family, and claimed they were cut off financially and denied security protection after stepping down from their royal roles.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement after the interview, saying the Sussexes "will always be much loved family members."
"The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan," the statement read. "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."
The couple's 2022 Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan," also put a spotlight on family tensions as they spoke candidly about their struggles in royal life and their explosive decision to leave their royal roles.
In 2023, Harry's explosive memoir "Spare" -- which described family tensions, including a physical fight between Harry and William -- appeared to widen the distance between Harry and his father and brother, the heir to the British throne.
Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, told "Good Morning America" co-anchor Michael Strahan in an interview prior to the memoir's release that he did not believe the details he shared in "Spare" could make things any worse with his family.
"I have thought about it long and hard," Harry said. "And as far as I see it, the divide couldn't be greater before this book."
Neither Kensington Palace, the office of William and Kate, nor Buckingham Palace, the office of Charles and Camilla, have commented publicly on the claims Harry made in "Spare."
Some royal experts have speculated that Harry and Meghan's return to the U.K. is, in part, because of their strong desire to see their children raised in Harry's home country.
The U.K. is also home to Archie and Lilibet's only cousins, William and Kate's three children: Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.
The cousins -- the grandchildren of Charles and the late Princess Diana -- are not known to have seen each other since possibly 2022, when they were all in London at the same time for the late queen's Platinum Jubilee.
