Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's planned return to Britain is reopening the debate over Megxit six years after they stepped away from royal duties, with one prominent royal commentator calling the move a "spectacular defeat" for the independence project that took the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to California.
Harry and Meghan are preparing for an extended stay in the U.K. with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, who have been enrolled in British schools and are expected to begin classes in September. The couple, however, won't return as working royals and plan to retain their homes in Montecito, Calif., and Portugal.
That distinction hasn't stopped critics from portraying the relocation as a repudiation of the couple's 2020 departure. Kinsey Schofield, host of Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered, told Fox News Digital that returning to Britain undermines the central message Harry and Meghan sought to establish when they left frontline royal life.
"There is no way to spin a move back to Britain as anything other than a spectacular defeat for the entire premise of Megxit," Schofield said.
Schofield argued that Harry's departure was partly intended to demonstrate that he could build an independent life with influence beyond the monarchy. The Sussexes subsequently established themselves in California, signing major entertainment agreements, launching charitable and commercial projects and publicly challenging aspects of their treatment within the Royal Family.
Their post-royal ventures have included a production relationship with Netflix, Harry's bestselling memoir Spare and Meghan's lifestyle brand As Ever. Spotify also previously had a podcast agreement with the couple before that partnership ended.
Yet their return to Britain doesn't recreate the position they held before 2020. Royal commentator Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that Harry and Meghan are "not regaining official royal roles," meaning the arrangement doesn't revive the "half-in, half-out" model they initially sought when stepping away.
The Associated Press similarly reported that the Sussexes will remain non-working members of the Royal Family. Rather than moving onto a royal estate, the family plans to occupy a private residence outside London, according to the supplied reports.
The couple also intends to maintain significant ties overseas. Their Montecito home will remain part of their life, as will their property in Portugal, while Meghan is expected to continue operating As Ever and Harry spends more time on charitable activities based in Britain.
The family dimension provides another explanation for the relocation that is harder to fit into the narrative of a failed Megxit. King Charles is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed cancer, and living in Britain would give him considerably greater access to Archie and Lilibet, who have spent much of their childhood in the U.S.
People reported that Harry had "never really stopped missing home." The duke has also spoken publicly about wanting reconciliation with his family, making the move potentially as much about personal relationships and his children's connection to Britain as about the success or failure of his American experiment.
Relations with Prince William remain a more difficult issue. Harry's relationship with his older brother has been strained following years of public accusations and disclosures, including claims made in Spare and interviews after the Sussexes' departure.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold has described the unfolding family situation as a "game of chess," suggesting the return will have to be handled carefully. Other commentators, including Helena Chard and Ian Pelham Turner, have questioned whether Harry's renewed presence in Britain could deepen tensions or intensify comparisons between the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Those assessments remain predictions rather than evidence of how the Royal Family will respond. The practical structure of Harry and Meghan's new arrangement is clearer: they will live in Britain without returning to official royal service, maintain private residences rather than occupy a royal home and continue pursuing independent commercial and charitable interests.
