The Duke of Sussex has come back to Britain with tensions still running high, with friends claiming he is “just as angry” as he was when he departed six years ago.
Prince Harry, 41, who arrived in Birmingham last week with Meghan, 45, and their two children as the family begins a new chapter in England, is understood to remain deeply upset with some members of the Royal Family and is said to believe he is owed an apology.
The Sussexes stepped back from their roles as working royals in 2020 before relocating to the United States, a dramatic split widely referred to as “Megxit”.
Since then, the rift with senior royals has only widened, fuelled by a series of explosive claims made in Harry’s memoir, Spare, as well as high-profile television appearances, most notably the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In a surprise announcement earlier this month, Harry and Meghan confirmed plans to return to a private, non-royal residence in the UK, believed to be in the Cotswolds. Their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, are understood to have been enrolled at a nearby prep school and are expected to start this week. However, one source told The Mail on Sunday: “Friends who caught up with Harry were expecting to hear noises of contrition and humility.
“Instead, there will be no imminent mea culpa from Harry by the sounds of things. Far from it, in fact. He is still in that Oprah mindset.
“They were agog to hear he still feels angry with members of the Royal Family, is still frustrated by the ‘men in grey suits’ who surround his father, and still expects an apology.”
Harry has repeatedly alleged that palace aides have obstructed efforts to repair his relationship with King Charles, using language reminiscent of his late mother, Princess Diana, who famously spoke of royal courtiers she believed were working against her.
A source said friends who met up with Harry ‘were agog to hear he still feels angry with members of the Royal Family’
The source said: ‘Friends who have spoken to him since he returned to the UK were surprised to discover that the record has not changed one bit since 2020 and Megxit. It’s shocking and quite sad.’ It echoes what Harry said in an interview in 2023 when he said: ‘What I’d really like is some accountability. And an apology to my wife.’
The source added: ‘He certainly won’t be issuing a public apology for his actions and he’s whipped himself up all over again and Diana’s legacy is a factor in this.’
Next August will mark 30 years since Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. Last month, during a visit to the UK, the Sussexes visited Diana’s grave at her childhood home, Althorp. Meghan later shared photos on social media of her two children carrying bunches of flowers through the estate’s grounds.
Last week, for their return to the UK, the Sussexes flew in on a private jet, believed to have been chartered from Planet Nine Private Air, a California-based operator, which costs about $12,000 (£9,000) per hour of flight time.
Yesterday, it was reported in the New York Post’s Page Six that the couple have enlisted the help of hedge-fund billionaire Ian Wace for their move back to Britain. The celebrity column claimed that Mr Wace – the founding partner of Marshall Wace LLP, one of the largest hedge funds in the world – was helping to finance the move as a long-term friend of the Sussexes.
The couple stayed on Mr Wace’s private Scottish island, Tanera Mor, during their recent holiday.
It is understood the Sussexes are waiting on a new assessment of their security needs after losing their automatic right to armed police protection when they stepped down as working royals.
In the meantime, Harry’s security adviser, David Langdown, is believed to have established a team of British security staff. The couple, who were approached for comment, will retain their homes in Montecito and Portugal.
Will Meghan be at Harry’s side for Diana Award?
The Duchess of Sussex could join Prince Harry at a high-profile fundraiser for The Diana Award now she has returned to Britain, The Mail on Sunday understands.
Attending the event would mark a symbolic moment for Meghan by linking her to the legacy of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana.
Harry is expected to attend the glitzy dinner and awards ceremony on September 18, say sources – and Meghan is considering joining him.
The Diana Award – which celebrates young people who make a difference to the lives of others – remains one of the last formal charitable links between Harry and his brother William.
The Prince of Wales made an appearance on behalf of the charity, which was set up in his mother’s honour, earlier this summer.
‘Harry is expected to take the lead at this event,’ said the source. ‘The brothers tend to take it in turns.
‘You won’t see the two men attending an event together any time soon – especially if Meghan is there.’
It is understood the ceremony will be staged at Raffles London at The OWO, a hotel located in the Old War Office in Whitehall.
Harry is expected to attend the glitzy dinner and awards ceremony on September 18, say sources – and Meghan is considering joining him
‘The Diana Award started looking for wealthy individuals to buy tables this summer,’ the source said. ‘You got the impression that Meghan’s attendance was not nailed-on yet, but it will be just the right sort of high-profile and glitzy occasion for her London debut.’
Another source suggested, however, that any appearance by the duchess is likely to cause tension.
‘It will make a lot of people at Kensington Palace uneasy if she is in attendance,’ they said.
‘Instead of returning to Britain solely as Harry’s wife and the mother of his children, she would be appearing alongside him at an event tied directly to the memory of Diana.
‘Save-the-date cards were sent two weeks ago.’
A spokesman for the charity said: ‘The Diana Award is at the early stages of considering how it may mark the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death next year.
‘No plans have been agreed, no event has been confirmed, and no decisions have been made regarding attendance or participation.’
A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made no comment.
