Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as Part-Time Royals Might Really Be Happening

(Image credit: Getty)

published 17 September 2022

Speculation has run rampant for years about what a monarchy under King Charles III might look like. Will it be, as reports have said so frequently, a slimmed down monarchy? What about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—where will they fit in?

For a little over a week, of course, theories are beginning to become reality (or not), and one question that keeps coming to the fore: Will Harry and Meghan be allowed to become part-time royals?

According to OK, Charles is “seriously considering” making it so in one of his first decisions as king, but it hinges on one component: Harry’s forthcoming memoir has to be axed. (Harry’s tell-all is due by the end of the year, and reportedly none of the royals have seen an advance copy of it.) According to the outlet, Charles “wants to show the country that he can deliver results and bringing Meghan and Harry back may do just that.”

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“This is the new king’s decision and his alone,” an insider says. “He has not consulted William or Kate. Most people in the family—and the Palace—would not do this, but Charles wants to prove he is his own man. He doesn’t see this as giving in to Harry and Meghan, but rather giving his reign a chance. Harry and Meghan would be a great asset overseas for him. He needs to stop them destroying the monarchy. Part of the deal would be Harry’s book needs to disappear in order for this to work.”

Harry and Meghan happened to be in the U.K. already on September 8, when the Queen passed away at Balmoral. Since then, they have been seen multiple times greeting mourners, viewing floral tributes, and attending events with the rest of the royal family. Charles extended what many refer to as an olive branch to Harry and Meghan during his first speech as monarch, and also allowed Harry to wear his military uniform, despite the Duke of Sussex previously being told he could not.

“Charles wants to fix the Harry and Meghan problem,” a source tells OK. “The only way he’s going to stop them being a problem is to give into them, which it looks like he is going to do. Charles’ opinion is it’s better to have them inside the royal tent rather than outside the tent.”

Meanwhile, Harry and his older brother, Prince William, continue to work on their relationship, with cousin Peter Phillips (son of Princess Anne) acting as a mediator between the two—as he also did during grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.

“Peter is used to acting as a bit of a buffer,” an insider says. “He may play that role again in a bid to pull them along together.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.