Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could bring their young children, Archie and Lilibet, to the U.K. for Christmas, a royal expert has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly hoping that a visit to the U.K. during the upcoming holiday season will offer an opportunity to heal the Royal Family rift, according to royal expert Katie Nicholl.
Nicholl told Closer Magazine that the Queen is also looking forward to seeing her two great-grandchildren for the first time since Meghan and Harry left the U.K. in March 2020. The Sussexes left the U.K. after announcing they were stepping down from their positions as working members of the Royal Family.
“When Harry and Meghan left, they made it clear they didn’t want to give up their home in Britain,” Nicholl said. “They still have Frogmore Cottage and their plan was to come back to the UK.”
“Christmas is being looked at as an opportunity. There may be a softening, which could pave the way for healing of the family rift,” Nicholl continued. “It’s certainly what the Queen wants. Prince Charles would like to see his grandchildren. A meet-up suggests they hope to move on and sort things out.”
Meghan hasn’t returned to the U.K. since she left in March 2020
Meghan hasn’t visited the U.K. since she left in March 2020. She and Harry left the country after they officially announced in January 2020 that they were stepping down as working members of the Royal Family.
They left the U.K. after Meghan gave birth to their first child Archie in May 2019.
After leaving the U.K., they stayed briefly in Vancouver Island, Canada, before settling in their new mansion in the upscale Montecito neighborhood of Santa Barbara, California
Meghan gave birth to her first daughter, Lilibet Diana, on June 4 at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, California.
Harry returned to the U.K. in April to attend Prince Philip’s funeral
Although Meghan hasn’t visited the U.K. since she left in 2020, Harry returned to his native country in April to attend Prince Philip’s funeral. He also visited the U.K. in the summer to attend the unveiling of a statue in honor of his later mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
If Meghan and Prince Harry bring Lilibet to the U.K. for Christmas, it would be the infant’s first time in the U.K. and her first time meeting her great-grandmother, the Queen.
Monsters & Critics reported speculation in the summer that the Sussexes wanted Lilibet christened in the U.K. The speculation was sparked by media reports that during his visit to the U.K. to attend the unveiling of a statue in honor of Diana, Harry told several people he wanted Lilibet christened in the presence of the Queen at Windsor.
Meghan could be ‘snubbed’ and ‘booed’ if she returns to the U.K.
The latest news comes after royal biographer Omid Scobie claimed that Meghan could return to the U.K. with Prince Harry in 2022 to attend the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
However, royal expert Dan Wootton warned that the Duchess of Sussex could be booed if she returned to the U.K. to attend a public event.
Royal expert Roberta Fiorito, the host of the Royally Obsessed podcast, also warned that Meghan could feel “left out” and “snubbed” if she returns to the U.K. with Harry for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Royally Obsessed co-host Rachel Bowie voiced concern that the Sussexes could be excluded from the traditional balcony line-up because they are no longer working members of the Royal Family.
This could make the couple feel “snubbed” and “left out,” she said.