Meghan Markle ‘May Never Feel Entirely Relaxed’ in the U.K., Insider Says
Meghan Markle is likely feeling “very mixed emotions” upon her return to the U.K., an insider says.
The former Suits star and her husband, Prince Harry, arrived in his home country on Wednesday, along with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Their return comes roughly a week after they shocked everyone by announcing they planned to relocate from their home in California to Britain. On Wednesday, they landed at the airport in Birmingham after making the trip from the U.S. via a private jet, CNN reported.
Meghan Markle had ‘deeply painful’ experiences when she first lived in the U.K.
“I imagine Meghan would approach [the move] with very mixed emotions,” Nick Ede a brand expert and former friend of Meghan’s said, speaking with Cafe Casino. “Britain was the setting for her wedding and one of the most extraordinary chapters of her life, but it is also associated with intense scrutiny, negative headlines and a period she has described as deeply painful.”
Meghan and Harry’s decision to return to the U.K. comes six years after “Megxit” – when the couple decided to give up their role as working royals amid security concerns, conflict with his family, and relentless media scrutiny of the Duchess of Sussex.
A lot has changed in those intervening years, from the ascension to the throne of Harry’s father, King Charles III, to the further breakdown of the Duke’s relationship with his elder brother, Prince Harry. Meanwhile, Meghan has worked to establish herself as a independent media figure and businesswoman, with her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, and her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
Most notably, Harry and Meghan will now be living in the U.K. as private citizens. They are not expected to be taking on any official royal duties. As a result, Meghan will be in a very different position this time around compared to when she was a new member of the family, Ede said.
“She would not be arriving as a new royal expected to learn an unfamiliar system; she would be coming back as an independent woman with her own businesses, profile and boundaries. That could make the experience feel much more manageable,” he predicted.
Duchess of Sussex will be living in the U.K. ‘on her own terms’
Harry and Meghan have not shared where they will be living, though they’re expected to move into a private residence in the Cotswolds, per CNN. Harry will likely focus on various charity engagements as well as preparing for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. Meghan is expected to continue to run her business from her new home. There are also rumors she may join the cast of Netflix’s The Gentlemen, which films in the U.K.
The U.K. media is infamously relentless and critical, and Meghan will likely remain a favorite target. However, she will no longer be facing those painful headlines while also in the role of a working royal beholden to “The Firm’s” rules and traditions.
“She may never feel entirely relaxed about the British media,” Ede said. “But a private home and clearly defined separation from royal duties could allow her to engage with the U.K. on her own terms.”
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