Prince Harry 'Hasn't Given Up Hope’ of Bringing Archie and Lilibet Back to the UK, Says Close Friend
Prince Harry is back in the UK this week, stirring the usual chatter about royal rifts, but those close to him say his mind is less on the drama and more on the years ahead. A friend of the Duke recently revealed that he 'has not given up hope' of one day bringing Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to see his home country.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the close pal said, “He hasn't given up hope on bringing his family back to the [United Kingdom]. He wants to be able to show his children where he grew up. He wants them to know their family here. He really would like to come back to the U.K. much more.” For Harry, Britain remains an inseparable part of his identity, even as he builds a new life in California with Meghan Markle. His children, however, have barely spent time in the UK. Archie and Lilibet last visited during the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022, while Markle has not returned since the monarch's funeral later that year.
The distance weighs on Harry. In May, Harry admitted, “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point. And the things they’re going to miss, well, everything… I miss the UK.” The statement came shortly after Harry lost a lengthy legal battle over the removal of his state-funded police protection. The ruling deepened his security concerns, making him hesitant to bring his young family back to Bthe UK, for now atleast.
Commenting on the same, another friend told The Sunday Times, “He’s made it absolutely clear he wants a reconciliation with his family. It’s on them now.” Harry’s current trip is his longest stay in the UK since the Queen’s death in 2022. On September 8, he privately paid tribute to his grandmother at Windsor Castle and before attending the WellChild Awards in London; an annual event supporting children with serious health conditions. The visit coincided with the third anniversary of the Queen’s passing. It also comes at a time when speculation is swirling about whether Harry might see his father, King Charles, for the first time in over 20 months. Their last meeting took place shortly after the King announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024.
Earlier, royal commentator Ingrid Seward had also argued that the matter of Archie and Lilibet, whom the King has rarely met, is one of the reasons he wishes to mend rift with Harry, as per Newsweek. Though Harry did not bring them along to the UK on this trip, Seward suggests the King would still want to hear how they are doing. “Because Charles isn't seeing his grandchildren, that must be really sad for him,” she said. “And if a meeting can be arranged without too much drama, he will see Harry.”