As the British Royal Family prepares to uphold the tradition of spending the summer holidays at Balmoral following Queen Elizabeth II's death, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are unlikely to join. This comes amid reports of a strained relationship between Prince Harry and his father, King Charles III.
The Sussexes have been living a private life in their Montecito mansion in Santa Barbara, California, with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, since leaving their public roles in the UK three years ago. Their participation in royal engagements has been sparse, largely due to the deterioration of their relationships with senior family members following their explosive Oprah interview in March 2021 and subsequent public criticisms of the institution.
Meghan Markle last returned to London with Prince Harry for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022. She did not accompany him to King Charles III's coronation at Westminster Abbey in May this year.
According to Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's royal editor, all family members are expected to stay at Balmoral over the next few weeks, except the Sussexes. Their 'open invitation' to join family gatherings hasn't exactly been rescinded, but it's not expected to be accepted.
Relations between Prince Harry and his father are reportedly still not good, although the family feels encouraged by claims that the Sussexes are now determined to focus on the future rather than family recriminations. This shift in focus might offer a glimmer of hope that personal relationships can be rebuilt in the future.
Prince Harry confirmed in an interview ahead of the release of his memoir "Spare" on January 10 that he is no longer on speaking terms with his father and brother, Prince William. An insider claimed that the subject of his brother is "very much off-limits" to Prince William, emphasizing the sadness of the situation.
Among the royal family members due to stay at Balmoral are Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their two children are also expected, along with Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, and her children Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, with their respective families.
As for the Sussexes, their plans for the summer remain unclear. Last year, they were guests at the One Young World Summit in Manchester, where the Duchess, a One Young World counsellor since 2014, delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony. They then headed to Düsseldorf, Germany, to mark one year until the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023.
