Ever since I revealed a year ago that there was an Establishment ‘plot’ to bring back the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Britain, supported by some senior politicians and courtiers, I have been the subject of much mockery.
Buckingham Palace officials were keen to pour scorn on the idea that Prince Harry and Meghan would be helped to return to this country after their string of attacks on the Royal Family, while American cheerleaders for the couple were equally eager to rubbish the idea that they would want to leave the former actress’s homeland.
So the news last night that the Sussexes are moving back here, six years after they quit royal duties to seek their fortune in North America, has come as a shock to many – but not to their few remaining close friends in Britain.
When Harry came to Britain last September, there was only one subject he wanted to discuss with pals: his children’s education.
As I reported in Eden Confidential – the Daily Mail’s social diary – at the time, Harry said he wanted to give his son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet a taste of his own childhood back home.
‘I can tell you that Harry wants to educate the children here in the UK,’ one of his friends told me.
‘Harry feels his children are missing out on the extensive family network that their niece and nephews are enjoying,’ explained the chum, referring to the Prince and Princess of Wales’s offspring, Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, who all attended the same public school, £32,000-per-year Lambrook School in Berkshire. George is due to start at Eton College, Prince William and Harry’s alma mater, next month.
Last night it was revealed Prince Harry and Meghan are moving back to Great Britain, six years after they quit royal duties to seek their fortune in North America
Harry said last year he wanted to give his son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet a taste of his own childhood back home
The friend added: ‘Harry wants his children to have the very best education. He has retained his closest friendship group of confidants from his days at school at Ludgrove and Eton. He wants that for his own children.’
I pointed out Harry might have a challenge selling his plan to Meghan, who was said to consider sending children to boarding school ‘barbaric’.
The friend conceded: ‘There is still some negotiation for Harry to have with Meghan. The King, however, is delighted.’
Intriguingly, that comment suggested the Duke had mentioned his British education plan to his father as long as a year ago.
When I wrote that story last September, I presumed that Harry was talking about his plans for his children’s education when they were older. However, it now appears he and Meghan were already choosing British schools. It has been confirmed that Archie, who’s seven, and five-year-old Lili are already enrolled in schools in this country and they will start next month.
The names of their schools have not been disclosed. Neither has the location of their home, although sources close to the Sussexes say they will not live in a royal residence.
King Charles is said to be welcoming their return as it gives him the opportunity to spend more time with the family in a private capacity. When he and Queen Camilla entertained the Sussexes at Highgrove, their Gloucestershire retreat, last month, it was the first time that he had seen his California-based grandchildren for more than four years and only the second time he had met Lili.
King Charles, pictured in 2019, is said to be welcoming their return as it gives him the opportunity to spend more time with the family in a private capacity
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Significantly, William and Catherine did not see the Sussexes during their visit. The brothers remain estranged since the publication of Harry’s tawdry memoir Spare in which he betrayed William and Catherine in the most egregious way.
Harry and Meghan’s return to Britain poses a genuine threat to the future of the British monarchy.
The couple left this country because Queen Elizabeth refused to allow them to combine public duties with making money. The late Queen believed this would destroy trust in the Royal Family. When Harry and Meghan carried out a public engagement, would they be doing so out of a sense of duty or because it could boost their bank balance?
The King may not let them be official ‘working royals’ on their return, but they will still be combining charitable engagements with money-making – a highly dangerous combination.
The Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022
Harry knows that his father is still being treated for cancer. By returning to Britain now, the Sussexes have a chance to strengthen their royal connections before William becomes king.
Having failed to establish a rival ‘royal court’ in America, Harry and Meghan will now try to do so in Britain, undermining William and Catherine.
After revealing the Establishment ‘plot’ to bring back the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Britain, I was told its jaw-dropping name: ‘Project Thaw.’ That’s because the aim was to warm up Harry and Meghan’s frosty relationships with the rest of the Royal Family and with the British people.
While the plot might have succeeded in bringing back the Sussexes, it has failed to improve their standing with the British people. If the couple really want to win back the affection of the public, they should publicly beg William and Catherine for forgiveness and quit money-making in favour of a life of public service.
