Prince Harry's recent revelation that his primary residence is now in the United States has far-reaching implications for his future royal duties, according to royal expert and author Tom Quinn. The Duke of Sussex, who relocated to Montecito, California, with his wife Meghan Markle in January 2020, had previously stated that the UK was his "home" and that he would continue to "fly the flag and carry out our roles for this country with pride."
However, a filing from Harry's eco-travel company Travalyst has shown that his residence was altered on June 29 last year, coinciding with the announcement that he and Meghan had officially left their royal residence Frogmore Cottage. This change in residency, Quinn told The Mirror, will have a profound impact on Harry's ability to carry out official royal duties.
"For Harry that is now impossible," Quinn explained. "The change of residency comes on top of a statement in 2022 from the crown to Parliament that only working members of Royal family will ever be called upon to fill in for the monarch. So that leaves Harry out in the cold where he thinks he wants to be - for now. With his change of primary residence Harry is saying: 'If Britain doesn't want me, then I don't want Britain.'"
Earlier this year, it was quietly announced that Harry and his uncle Prince Andrew would not be called upon to serve as Counsellors of State, despite being named as such. A bill that became law in December 2022 stated that only "working members of the Royal Family will be called on to act as Counsellors of State," technically excluding Harry and Andrew, who have stepped back from their royal duties. Princess Anne and Prince Edward were subsequently made Counsellors of State for life and will step in for King Charles if he is unable to attend public events.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has reportedly dismissed the idea of Prince Harry ever returning to the royal fold, with royal sources claiming there is "no way back" for the Duke of Sussex. The Daily Mail reports that there is "zero percent chance" that Harry will be permitted to help out while his father, King Charles III, undergoes cancer treatment and his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, recovers from abdominal surgery.
This news comes despite Page Six reporting earlier this week that Harry would be willing to report for royal duties if asked. "I have a hard time believing if his dad asks for his help that Harry would say no, I think he would try," a source told the publication, adding, "I don't think it's something that Harry would ask [to do] on his own."
Harry recently jetted back to the UK to see King Charles shortly after the monarch announced his cancer diagnosis, spending just over 24 hours in the country and having a 30-minute meeting with his father. The renegade royal told reporter Will Reeves on "Good Morning America" that he was grateful for the opportunity to see his father, stating, "Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I'm grateful for that."
Relations between Harry and his family have been strained since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 and the publication of Harry's controversial memoir, "Spare," last year. Despite reports that Harry and Markle have been working toward a "reconciliation" with the royal family, the strategy appears to have soured with the release of royal reporter Omid Scobie's new book, which made damaging claims about King Charles and Kate Middleton.
