Prince Harry made a surprise appearance in Norfolk, reuniting with his brother Prince William to attend the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, on Wednesday. The princes, who have a strained relationship, reportedly chose not to sit close to each other, per Hello!. Harry made the U.K. trip alone, choosing not to bring his wife, Meghan Markle, with him. Her absence is no surprise, though.
Meghan has not been back in England since the funeral of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Harry spoke earlier this summer about why he doesn’t feel comfortable bringing Meghan or their two children, Archie and Lilibet, to his home country: He just doesn’t think it’s safe enough.
As a reminder, the family lost their U.K. taxpayer-funded police protection when Meghan and Harry stepped back from their senior working royal family roles in 2020. While Harry tried to fight for the right to pay for that level of security while he’s in the U.K., his court bids have not yet been successful.
Harry spoke candidly about it on ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial, saying, “All it takes is for one lone actor who reads this stuff to act on what they’ve read [in the tabloids]. And whether it’s a knife or acid, these are things that are genuine concerns for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Meghan, for her part, wishes Harry “could let go of these lawsuits, be happy and live in the moment,” a former employee of the couple’s Archewell Foundation told People in late July. “She wants him to be free of all of this, but she also knows that because of everything he’s been through and his love for [her and their children], he can’t. She wants him to live in a world where he is not burdened by this.”
A source told Us Weekly earlier this week that Meghan has moved on from the royal family drama. “Meghan doesn’t harbor any negative feelings,” the source said. “She just wants peace, and knows you can’t find peace if you harbor resentments.”
She is happier in California, they added. “There’s air and space and room. She can just be who she is.” Life as a working royal, in contrast, was challenging for Meghan. The insider explained, “Most people are not really allowed to be themselves—if you’ve watched The Crown, I think that’s pretty understood.”
