After months of questions, it’s been confirmed that Meghan Markle will join Prince Harry on his upcoming trip to the UK – the first time she’s been here in nearly four years. The couple’s return is said to have been driven by King Charles, who’s supported the approval of full security and given them permission to stay at a royal residence for the duration of their trip.
The Sussexes – who are bringing Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, with them – are set to mark the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games, Harry’s charity event for wounded service people, in Birmingham on 10 July. Now, they are also expected to spend time with the King, who’s said to want to get to know his grandchildren and make amends with his son.
Meghan Markle retuning to the UK has stirred up anxiety for Kate Middleton, according to sources ©Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images
But not all royals will be welcoming Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, with open arms – especially the Prince and Princess of Wales, who’ll be facing them on home turf after a bitter six-year rift. We’re told that, while Kate, 44, is happy about Harry’s potential reconciliation with his father, the impending arrival of Meghan and the kids has stirred up major anxiety for her, and a source says she’s feeling conflicted over the ‘chaos’ that threatens to ensue.
An insider says, ‘Kate is an incredibly forgiving person, but she feels there has been so much hurt stirred up over the years by Meghan. It’s impossible for her to forget everything overnight. There’s a lot of distrust there. Kate does want to see Harry and wants to do whatever she can to help the King, but there’s no denying that Meghan being there makes things more complicated for her. ‘If Harry was coming on his own, it would be a very different story. Kate has always had a soft spot for him. As much as Kate wants this peace, it’s impossible not to worry about what chaos Meghan will bring.’
Of course, there’s no doubt Kate will also be very conscious of the effect the Sussexes’ return will have on Prince William, 43. Writing on his The Royalist substack, royal author Tom Sykes claimed, ‘It is an astonishing betrayal of [the King’s] loyal and dutiful heir, who has made clear he never wants to see Harry again, believes he should be exiled (as far away as possible), and has told friends he blames the stress of Harry and Meghan’s betrayal for aggravating Catherine’s cancer.’
The tension between Kate and Meghan has been widely reported ©Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The source adds, ‘William is against the whole idea and Kate can’t ignore his feelings. She understands why Charles is pushing for reconciliation and genuinely believes Harry should have this chance, but it’s hard to stomach the idea of having to play nice with Meghan. It’s causing friction between him and his father because William feels betrayed that the King is welcoming her back. Just hearing Meghan’s name can set William off, so naturally that makes Kate worry about him and his stress levels.’
The rift between the two couples has been well-documented – especially by Harry and Meghan themselves. In his memoir Spare, Harry accused William of physically assaulting him over his disapproval of his relationship with Meghan. The tension between Kate and Meghan has also been widely reported. The most famous head-to-head was when Meghan was accused of making Kate cry by insisting that Princess Charlotte wear an ill-fitting bridesmaid dress.
During her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said it was actually Kate who had made her cry, a version of events that Harry later backed up, writing in his memoir that he had picked Meghan up from ‘the floor’ in tears. He also portrayed Kate as cold and unwelcoming to Meghan in the book.
In 2023, Kate was alleged by royal author Omid Scobie – who was widely reported to have been close with Meghan – to have been the ‘royal racist’ who raised questions about the skin colour of Meghan and Harry’s then-unborn first child, Prince Archie. Scobie denied this and claimed it had been an editing error and the royal family have strenuously denied any claims of racism.
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Now, the source says the future Queen has naturally been left ‘hurt’ by the allegations Meghan has made about her. The insider says, ‘Kate’s not bad-mouthing Meghan, but everyone knows what a difficult spot this has put her in. It’s no secret there was a lot of friction between them and it hasn’t been forgotten. Kate wants peace, she wants Charles to have this opportunity with Harry and the children, but this is causing her no end of anxiety. There’s been so much hurt for her personally, not to mention the impact it’s had on William.’
Kate has always been known as the peacemaker, the one pushing for the warring brothers to make up, but we’re told she now fears Meghan’s presence has made reconciliation unlikely. ‘She had hoped to get Harry alone for a heart-to-heart, to talk sense into him and encourage him to apologise to William, but that won’t happen with Meghan by his side,’ the insider says.
‘Most people in the family firmly believe that Harry was manipulated by Meghan and she played a part in turning him against them all, so there’s a huge amount of distrust and bitterness.
‘There’s no doubt Meghan’s presence is going to completely change the atmosphere of this visit.’
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