9 Royals Most Likely to Welcome Harry and Meghan During UK Return

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to return to the UK next month with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for the one-year countdown event to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. The visit would mark the first time in years that the Sussex children will be in Britain and could see them reunite with several members of the Royal Family. While some royals may be open to rebuilding family ties, others are believed to remain cautious after years of public tensions. According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, as shared with the Daily Mail, here's a look at the family members who are most likely to welcome the Sussexes, and those who could take a more neutral approach.

King Charles is said to be the royal most likely to welcome Harry, Meghan, and their children. According to Fitzwilliams, the King wants to see his grandchildren, whom he has not met in several years, and is keen to focus on reconciliation where possible. However, he is also unlikely to have forgotten the family's past disagreements, meaning any meeting would likely be kept private and away from public attention. "He will be aware that Harry will probably want him to be at the opening of the Invictus Games next year. He wants to be as constructive as the situation allows," elaborated Fitzwilliams.

Princess Eugenie has long been considered one of Prince Harry's closest royal relatives. "Eugenie was always the closest to the Sussexes, visiting them, appearing in their Netflix series, and they both have houses in Portugal," shared Fitzwilliams. She and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, have remained on good terms with the Sussexes over the years, and the two families are believed to have stayed in touch to date. While they could meet Harry and Meghan during the visit, any reunion is expected to happen privately rather than in the public eye.

Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, are also seen as possible supporters of a quiet family reunion. Although they have largely stayed away from the public drama surrounding Harry and Meghan, they are believed to have maintained a cordial relationship with the couple. Just like Eugenie and her husband, Beatrice is expected to meet the Sussex family in a private family gathering rather than an official royal event.

Of all the senior royals, Edward and Sophie may be among the few who understand Harry and Meghan's original plan. They once hoped to combine outside careers with royal duties too, before eventually becoming full-time working royals. Even so, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams believes that while the Edinburghs appear to get along with the Sussexes, they're unlikely to get involved and will probably watch how things unfold from the sidelines.

Harry was once so close to Mike and Zara that he became godfather to their daughter, Lena. But like many family relationships, things appear to have cooled since Megxit. While royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams believes they have largely stayed out of the family rift, he also doesn't expect them to go out of their way to reconnect during Harry's UK visit.