This summer, as Prince Harry returns to mark one year ahead of the UK’s 2027 Invictus Games, there are indications that Meghan, along with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, might join him. Reports suggest that if they do, King Charles and Queen Camilla could take the opportunity to mend the long-frozen relationship with the Sussexes by offering an olive branch.
The potential visit to Balmoral carries particular weight. As the King’s most private residence, it is seen as a symbol of “trust, forgiveness, and a sincere willingness to heal,” according to royal commentator Rob Shuter. Yet, royal insiders indicate that Prince William is reportedly “strongly opposed” to welcoming the couple at Charles’ Scottish estate. For the Prince of Wales, such a gesture feels “too much, too soon,” with concerns it might “reopen wounds that are only just starting to heal.”
After years of strained relations between the Sussexes, living in self-imposed exile in the United States, it is perhaps understandable that Charles would want to reconcile with his son.
Critics, however, question the responsibility balance. If one walks away in frustration, is it the duty of the other party to apologize and pick up the pieces?
When Harry and Meghan made their controversial Megxit decision, they cited reasons including toxicity, racism, personal danger, and relentless media scrutiny. Ironically, they chose the US — a country with far higher risks of gun violence than the UK — as their refuge. Over the years, Harry, who described royal life as “a mix between The Truman Show and being in a zoo,” has carefully built a protective bubble while accumulating substantial wealth.
During their UK visit, it is suggested that King Charles could offer them the use of Highgrove House, his country estate in Gloucestershire, as a gesture of goodwill. Combined with a potential Balmoral visit and a personal apology from the King, the reconciliation could be historic — though one suspects Netflix cameras would be keen to capture the moment.
Some argue that “the Sussexes chose their life in the US, so they must deal with its consequences.”
Yet, if Charles extends such a conciliatory gesture, two things are clear: Harry and Meghan would no longer have grounds to claim they were excluded, and the narrative of being US-based victims of a supposedly “harsh, racist royal institution” could lose much of its power.
