Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are quietly working to rebuild their standing with the British royal family — and as of Aug. 4, 2026, reports suggest Harry is even considering a move to Australia as a stepping stone back toward Crown duties, keeping him closer to royal life while Meghan, who remains deeply reluctant to return to Britain, maintains her distance. Friends describe a deliberate push to reverse the couple’s 2020 exit from royal life, a shift driven by a growing sense that their American chapter is losing its luster.
The most recent sign of movement came with a private family gathering at Highgrove House last month, attended by Harry, Meghan, their children Archie and Lilibet, King Charles III, and Queen Camilla — a meeting that sources close to the Sussex camp described as “baby steps… but in the right direction.”
America Cools as Eyes Turn to Britain
Daily Mail editor-at-large Alison Boshoff wrote in July that “the Sussexes are seeking to reverse Megxit” and that “a return to the U.K. is being contemplated in some form.” Speaking on a podcast, Boshoff described a dramatic shift in the couple’s outlook. Roughly 18 months earlier, she said, a communications professional on Team Sussex had told her Harry had no interest in ever returning to Britain and loved his life in California. That position had completely reversed, with sources close to Harry now saying England is his home and that spending more time there is something he actively wants.
Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, are said to feel that public sentiment in the United States is turning against them, and that winning back British audiences has become their focus. The couple’s California-based business ventures have hit significant turbulence. Their Spotify deal collapsed in June 2023, with the platform’s head of podcasting, Bill Simmons, publicly calling them “*** grifters.” A lengthy industry report on March 17 cited Netflix insiders describing the streamer as “done” with the pair. Their Netflix lifestyle show “With Love, Meghan” concluded after two seasons, and their $100 million Netflix contract has failed to deliver the lasting prominence they had hoped for.
A friend of the couple told Woman and Home in a report published in August that the couple’s enthusiasm for life in the United States is waning and that Meghan may also be experiencing feelings of being marginalized, though the friend noted the significant value of their Netflix contract. Their Portuguese vacation property may serve as an intermediate location for a phased reintegration into European society, according to reports.
Highgrove Meeting Signals Possible Thaw
The gathering at Highgrove House — Harry’s childhood home — marked the most concrete sign yet of a potential reconciliation. Notably, Queen Camilla attended, a detail that carries weight given that Harry had previously called her “dangerous” and a “villain” during the promotional tour for his 2023 memoir “Spare.” The meeting also gave King Charles III time with his grandchildren Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, for the first time in four years. Royal expert Emily Andrews wrote in August that the Highgrove gathering represented significant progress, considering the damage from the Oprah interview, the Netflix series, the memoir, and Harry’s legal battles.
Boshoff said sources on both sides of the family divide appear to be working toward something, though she was careful to note uncertainty about the outcome. She said both Harry and the Palace appear to want a resolution, and that those around the duke feel optimistic — but that the final shape of any arrangement remains unclear.
Palace Resists, William Unmoved
Royal biographer Tom Bower, who examined the couple’s ambitions in his book “Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family,” described their goal as “full royal reinstatement.” Bower wrote that the king must navigate a delicate balance, as welcoming Harry and Meghan back could provoke anger from Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are said to be strongly opposed to the Sussexes rejoining royal duties. A report from June described William as furious, with sources suggesting his door to reconciliation remains firmly shut. Bower wrote that the likelihood of King Charles risking friction with William and Kate by accommodating Harry and Meghan was minimal as of spring.
The 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, England — an event Harry founded for wounded veterans — has been identified in Bower’s reporting as a potential stage for a more public reunion. Bower alleged that Harry had envisioned King Charles III opening the games while Meghan made a high-profile appearance alongside their children. Reports have also surfaced of extensive logistical demands connected to Meghan’s attendance at the Birmingham games. A source told royal commentator Rob Shuter that Meghan requested exclusive use of four complete floors at Birmingham’s Hyatt Hotel, accompanied by security measures exceeding those typically provided for heads of state, and that anyone with any interaction must address her as “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex” with no exceptions.
A Marriage Under Strain, a Duke Longing for Home
Perhaps the most striking thread running through recent coverage is what sources describe as a personal reckoning for Harry himself. A source who knows the duke well told Boshoff that Harry never wanted to sever ties with his relatives, and that he may now be seeing things more clearly than during the period when he was deeply infatuated with Meghan. The source said “the veil is lifting” for Harry.
What is clear from the range of reporting that has accumulated through mid-2026 is that the Sussexes’ trajectory has shifted. The question now is whether the Palace — and Prince William — will leave any door open to receive them.