Prince Harry and Meghan Markle haven’t exactly had the warmest relationship with the royal family in recent years. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the royal family back in 2020, and they have made very few visits to see Harry’s relatives ever since.
Rumors have swirled recently that a reconciliation could be on the horizon, but experts think that Harry and Meghan’s recent move suggests they are actually still actively trying to distance themselves from the rest of Harry’s family.
In recent months, it’s been suspected that Harry and Meghan could be looking to purchase a home outside of royal grounds over in the United Kingdom. This would allow the family to use it as a home base when they inevitably travel to the UK, whether that be for work or to eventually spend time with family. While the rumors are largely unconfirmed, it’s been suggested that Harry and Meghan do not want to rent property on royal grounds; they would rather have something outside of what the royals own. And one PR expert thinks this is a move that suggests Harry and Meghan want to ‘maintain a disconnect’ between the rest of the family.
Kieran Elsby, a PR expert, told Express, “While they’ve voiced their desire for privacy and independence, their actions, such as this potential property purchase, might be interpreted as a deliberate move to maintain a disconnect from the royal family.” Elsby added that he thinks the action of purchasing a property off of royal grounds is “disappointing” as far as making progress on healing the divide between Harry and his family. He also noted that it’s “essential” that Harry and Meghan strike some sort of balance between their celebrity lives in the US and their royal lives in the UK, presumably for their reputation’s sake.
It still remains unclear how much of this alleged house-hunting rumor is true. But it could mean that Harry is looking more toward a reconciliation than we previously knew. With that said, the fact that he might not commit to renting property on royal grounds suggests he’s not sure whether the reconciliation will actually happen — and whether it will last forever. Elsby says the move of living off of royal grounds suggests that the divide between Harry and his family “continues to widen.”
Harry has said in the past that he does hope to reconcile with the royal family. However, he also said that he wanted his father and brother to show accountability but apparently felt that they had not yet done so. It’s unclear if there are conversations happening behind the scenes, but it doesn’t look like too much progress has been made between Harry, King Charles, and Prince William. Time will tell if the men are able to work through their differences and whether Harry and Meghan will purchase property in the UK.