Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are planning a return to the United Kingdom, unsettling King Charles III's annual summer break at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and reopening old rifts within the royal family.
Charles is following a tradition begun by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, of spending several weeks at Balmoral each summer. The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, have joined him there this year with their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, before the youngsters return to school next week. The family gathering is expected to address the surprise return of the Sussexes, who broke from royal duties in early 2020 amid friction with the rest of the family.
Balmoral Castle, on Scotland's northeast coast, was bought in 1852 by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, and remains part of the royal family's private property.
Harry and Meghan have enrolled their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in a British school. Even so, everything suggests the couple do not intend to stay in the United Kingdom permanently.
A one-year, temporary stay
The Sussexes are expected to remain in the United Kingdom for only a year, according to The Sunday Times. Their move is being interpreted as a prolonged but temporary stay, an attempt to let their children get to know their British roots without fully severing ties to their life in California.
The Sunday Times reported that the couple have not ruled out later living for a time in Canada or Australia. Harry and Meghan can make such choices freely because they are independent private citizens who are no longer part of the Royal Household and will not regain their former status.
Netflix role reports denied
One reason floated in recent days for the couple's return was that Meghan was in talks to appear in the Netflix series "The Gentlemen," from filmmaker Guy Ritchie. That claim was dismissed by former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, who said Meghan's casting call had been withdrawn after a negative reaction.
Public opinion turns cold
Public sentiment has not made things easier for the couple. A YouGov poll conducted for The Sunday Times found the British public largely hostile to any attempt by the Sussexes to return to institutional royal life.
According to the survey, 51 percent of respondents oppose Harry and Meghan resuming duties as full-time, active members of the royal family, while only 23 percent would support such a move. The rest were undecided.
The same poll found that 34 percent of respondents believe the couple's return would harm the monarchy, far outweighing the 14 percent who think it would benefit the institution, with the remainder giving no answer. Away from royal palaces, media reports say the couple will settle in a private residence on the outskirts of London, shielded from media scrutiny.
Family tensions persist
The return opens a new chapter in the strained relationship between the Sussexes and Prince William, heir to the British throne, who is not on speaking terms with his younger brother.
Reflecting the tensions still fracturing the House of Windsor, The Sunday Telegraph reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not attend the traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham House in eastern England with King Charles III and the rest of the royal family.
That notable absence from the most intimate date on the monarchy's calendar shows that, even as they share the same British soil, the emotional and official bridges with the royal family remain visibly broken.
