Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked royal fans when it was confirmed on Wednesday, August 19 that the couple will be moving back to Britain ahead of the new school year. The couple’s children, 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet, have already been enrolled at a British school, and the family will be setting up a non-royal residence in an undisclosed location. For the Duchess of Sussex, leaving her home state of California likely comes with extremely mixed emotions, as former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told Sky News.
“'I think we should beware a pile-on on Meghan in particular, and I can see that already happening,” Bond told the network. “This is the decision they've made probably for the sake of their children, as much as for Harry.”
Meghan was born and raised in California, and she noted that starting over in England was a hard transition when she fell in love with Prince Harry. The couple made the move to Montecito, California in 2020 after they stepped down as senior working royals, and Bond noted that “Perhaps Meghan is sort of taking one for the team here, because I'm not sure this is her life's desire to live back in the U.K.”
The Duchess of Sussex has been vocal about how she struggled with her mental health while she was a working royal, and Bond cautioned the public not to place blame on Meghan for the couple's decisions.
“We have to remember that this is a woman who said that she was driven to suicidal thoughts by the way she felt she was treated when she lived here as a member of the Royal Family,” Bond said. “And that's why I say, we must beware a pile-on.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue their business activities, such as Meghan's As Ever brand, and will carry out any charity work in a private capacity, rather than on behalf of The King. “The only word we're getting from the palace is that Harry and Meghan are not going to be working royals at all, and certainly not whilst they carry on with their commercial activity, or particularly Meghan's, which I completely see she needs to do, and why shouldn't she?” Bond said. “She's an independent, relatively successful woman.”
At the end of the day, Tom Garcia-Bridgeman, PR consultant at Rhizome Media Group told the Daily Mail, “Britain may not offer them as much vitamin D as California, but a U.K. return immediately puts them at the center of a story, rather than competing for attention among LA's crowded celebrity class.”
