Let’s start with the basics. Their grand exit in 2020 was supposed to be about privacy, independence and carving out a new life away from the glare of the monarchy. Fast forward a few years, and what have we actually seen?
A tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 – timed, rather awkwardly, as Prince Philip was seriously unwell in hospital. A Netflix docuseries in 2022 offering a fly-on-the-wall look into royal life. And in 2023, Harry’s memoir Spare, which laid bare deeply personal conversations, family tensions and private moments.
Privacy? Not quite.
Then there’s the branding. Because make no mistake – this is a brand. From Netflix deals to Meghan’s, 44, As Ever lifestyle venture, to carefully curated public appearances, plus those trips abroad that mimmicked a royal tour.
And who can forget her social media comeback in 2025? Everything feels designed to keep the Sussex name in circulation.
Now suddenly there’s talk of a return. It’s hard not to connect the dots – and from where I’m standing, it comes across as selfish and fame hungry.
The Netflix momentum has cooled. The Spotify podcast deal appears to of quietly ended. What was once pitched as a media empire has, at times, felt more like a series of stop-start attempts to stay culturally relevant. So what better way to reset the narrative than by stepping back into the royal orbit – even if it’s briefly?
Because nothing generates headlines quite like the monarchy.
Cast your mind back to 2021, when the couple named their daughter Princess Lilibet – a deeply personal nickname used by Queen Elizabeth II within her closest circle. At the time, they framed it as a tribute – but it crossed a line.
For a couple so determined to distance themselves from the institution that raised Harry, 41, they were remarkably quick to hold onto its most intimate ties, taking something deeply personal and placing it squarely in the public domain to generate headlines.
More recently, we’ve seen glimpses of their children shared online – carefully controlled, yes, but still a shift for a couple who once cited privacy as their primary reason for leaving royal life.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t step away from the institution, criticise it on the global stage, monetise your proximity to it, and then circle back when the spotlight starts to dim.
So let’s call it what it is. This isn’t a soft return to patch things up. It’s not a quiet family reunion away from the cameras. It’s a calculated step back towards the one thing that has always held value: proximity to the monarchy.
Because without it, what’s left? Hollywood is fickle. Deals come and go. Attention shifts. And without that royal connection, that unique selling point, the Sussex brand, starts to look a little less distinctive and they both become irrelavent.
This latest push to reconnect doesn’t feel like reconciliation. It feels like expansion.
A way to refresh the narrative. To generate headlines. To remind the world, and perhaps themselves – where their power still lies. Because in the end, this isn’t about going back. It’s about staying in the spotlight.