Prince Harry, Meghan Markle may find surprising allies on UK return

A sleek fashion designer, Prince Harry’s royal cousins, and a “court jester” might be among the allies who greet the Sussexes warmly upon their return to Britain.

The Duke and Duchess will relocate to Britain with their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, who will begin school in September following a six-year stay in Montecito.

Even before they departed the UK on a “freedom flight,” the pair undoubtedly damaged some relationships, even if the King is reportedly happy to have the chance to spend more time with his grandkids.

Rumours have swirled about a cooling of relations between Prince Harry and his old party pals that began when he first met Meghan, and he is not on speaking terms with his brother, William, and sister-in-law, Kate.

Nonetheless, a few of Harry’s childhood acquaintances have endured and are still devoted to him, as well as to his brother.

The welcoming committee may include the Duke of Westminster, Charles and Thomas van Straubenzee, and dependable advisors like Mark Dyer, the tough Welsh Guardsman who became Harry’s mentor following the death of his mother.

Meghan, on the other hand, was quick to claim that she had little knowledge of Britain and the monarchy at the time of her marriage, although she does have a group of acquaintances from before she met Harry.

These include Soho House director Markus Anderson and PR guru Isabel May, who assisted Meghan in adjusting to her first move to the UK.

Even while Meghan’s relationships with the larger family are still tense, it’s important to keep in mind that she was friends with Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank before she met Harry, and the two couples are still close.

Harry is known to have a close relationship with his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie, and he always seems to take pleasure in having amicable conversations with their husbands.

However, royal historian Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail that any contact between the York sisters and the Sussexes is probably going to happen behind closed doors.

“Eugenie was always the closest to the Sussexes, visiting them and appearing in their Netflix series, and they both have houses in Portugal. However, Harry and Meghan won’t want to be too close to the sisters, as they are far too controversial because of their disgraced parents. The Sussexes will keep their distance publicly, as they excite worldwide interest. They may, of course, see them privately, but we may not hear of it,” Richard Fitzwilliams remarked.

Before Meghan began dating Harry, she was already acquainted with Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. In their December 2022 Netflix documentary, it was disclosed that Eugenie had spent time in Los Angeles with her cousin Harry and his son, Archie.

Two years after the Duke of Sussex resigned from top positions, Eugenie became the first member of the Royal Family to visit him publicly in California.

To avoid “trouble,” the Duke of Westminster chose not to invite Harry and Meghan to his society wedding to Olivia Henson in 2024.

The 44-year-old Guy Pelly, who was close to both of Charles’s sons when they were teenagers and was originally thought to be the only way to mend their rift after “Megxit,” may also be on the welcoming committee for the Sussexes. Formerly known as the “court jester,” he is Prince Louis’s godfather.

He was spotted earlier this year having a conversation with King Charles at the British Embassy during His Majesty and Queen Camilla’s historic state visit, suggesting that he still has a cordial connection with the family.

Guy and his spouse, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Wilson, an American-born Holiday Inn heiress, were present.