Royal family

Meghan Markle Has Yet to Confirm Her Return to The United Kingdom Despite Queen Elizabeth’s Request

Queen Elizabeth has requested Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's presence on Commonwealth day in March, but Markle has yet to confirl that she will actually return to the UK.

by Perry Carpenter

Published on February 18, 2020

3 min read

Meghan Markle has been enjoying her new life in Canada following her and Prince Harry’s shocking exit from the royal family. But sources believe that Queen Elizabeth has asked the couple to return to the UK for one last public engagement before Megxit becomes official. Harry is fully expected to comply with his grandmother’s wishes, but insiders think that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, might snub Her Majesty one final time.

Queen Elizabeth extends an invitation

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spent the past few months in Canada while they work out the final details regarding their royal departure. Megxit is expected to become official this spring, but Queen Elizabeth reportedly wants Harry and Meghan to attend one last event before that happens.

“We have heard from the Palace that their final engagements as working members of the royal family will be taking place in early March,” royal correspondent Omid Scobie stated.

Queen Elizabeth Requests Meghan Markle, Prince Harry & Baby Archie's Return to U.K. for Royal Event https://t.co/0ia1oD19sb
— People (@people) February 9, 2020

Harry is scheduled to make an appearance at the Mountbatten Festival of Music ahead of the Commonwealth Day service, which is being held at Westminster Abbey on March 10.

The festival is a two-night event at the Royal Albert Hall. It is unclear how long Harry will stay at the festival, but it will be one of his last royal engagements before stepping down as a senior member of the royal family.

Royal watchers are eager to see Prince Harry in action one last time, but there is considerable doubt that Meghan will join him in March.

Is Meghan Markle snubbing Queen Elizabeth?

It should be noted that Buckingham Palace has not confirmed that Harry and Meghan will be appearing at the Commonwealth Day service in March. The palace’s official statement about the event does not mention Harry or Meghan.

Luckily, the palace will announce a guest list prior to the event, so we should know more in the weeks leading up to the service.

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A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal)

Until we get the official word, there are doubts that Meghan Markle will return to the UK at all. According to Express, insiders claim that Meghan has not confirmed to the palace that she will attend the service alongside Harry.

Harry and Meghan have been staying out of the spotlight following their stunning announcement at the beginning of the year. They are currently living in a rented home on Vancouver Island and are planning on setting up a second home base in North America.

What happens if Meghan Markle returns to the UK?

While there are a lot of questions about Meghan’s upcoming trip to the UK, it is possible that she joins Harry in March. If that happens and she attends the Commonwealth Day service, then it might be the last time we see Meghan and Harry in the same room as Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Apart from the service, Scobie believes that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be meeting with their charities in London during their return home.

It's been a month since the couple made the announcement that they were going to "step back" from the British royal family, which resulted in Queen Elizabeth II announcing that the couple would no longer take public funds or use their HRH royal titles. https://t.co/bI5hYfBEXo
— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) February 14, 2020

Although they are losing their royal titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will still work with their foundation, Sussex Royal. To that end, the couple will be devising a plan on how to continue work while they live in North America.

As part of their plan to leave the royal family, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will no longer rely on public funding. Instead, the two will be paying for their yearly endeavors out of their own pockets.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stun their UK staffers

While we wait to see if Meghan Markle returns to the UK next month, inside sources claim that the couple’s staffers were completely blindsided by their exit.

Shortly after the announcement, Meghan and Harry fired 15 of their staffers, who apparently had no idea they were planning on leaving the royal family. A few of the staff members have already secured other jobs in the royal family, but most of them have not.

“It seems the final nail has been hammered in the separation of Prince Harry and his family thanks to the dismissals of their 15 staff members from the royal household who have been told they are ‘no longer required,” Neil Sean, a royal correspondent, shared.

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A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal)

Sean added that most of Meghan and Harry’s staff thought they would be hired in Canada and genuinely enjoying working for the Sussexes. Meghan, however, reportedly told them that they are moving in a different direction.

The royal family has not commented on the staffing changes, though Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles are aware of the situation. Insiders also claim that Meghan Markle is the one making the decisions when it comes to running the staff and that Prince Harry has very little responsibility on that front.