Harry and Meghan may return as part-time royals
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are 'hoping to return to the UK as part-time royals' once Charles becomes king, a royal author has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex currently live in a $14 million mansion in Montecito, California, after stepping back from royal duty in 2020.
Tom Quinn, author of Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir from Queen Mary to Meghan Markle, believes the couple may have plans to return to the royal fold in the future.
When Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, first announced they wanted to change their royal roles in 2020, they suggested they may be able to be independently financial while still working as senior members of the Firm.
However, speaking in the To Di For Daily podcast, Quinn said that because Charles is more of a 'moderniser' than the Queen, he may approve of them carving out a part-time royal role back in the UK when he is in charge.
Her Majesty previously vetoed that suggestion, with a statement from Buckingham Palace saying in February 2021: 'The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.'
Quinn added that an anonymous 'insider' had told him: 'Meghan and Harry believe that when the elder royals die – in other words, Elizabeth – they may well be able when Charles is King, be able to come back and be the part-time royals that they really wanted to be.
'So that they would be six months [being] working royals and six months in the States or wherever doing their own thing.
'That was something that Queen Elizabeth absolutely said couldn’t happen, but I think Meghan and Harry are hoping that Charles, Harry's father after all, will be more of a moderniser and will say to them, "Okay, if you want to be part-time royals, that’s fine".'
He added that he doesn't think the couple want to spend their whole time in the States, and not be part of the Royal Family, and that despite the apparent rift, he believes Harry wants to 'find a role' within the Firm.
The book, which many believe will contain explosive details about life in the Royal Family, netted Harry an advance of £14.7million ($20million). It is due to be published in the autumn.
Prince Harry is currently bringing a legal challenge against the Home Office after being told he would no longer be given the 'same degree' of personal protective security when visiting from the US, despite offering to pay for it himself.
He has said he wants to bring his children to visit from across the Atlantic, but 'does not feel safe' when visiting under the current security arrangements.