IS HARRY IS HEADING HOME?

In what’s playing out like another episode of a gripping drama, the UK is now locked into the latest instalment of the saga surrounding Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles III.

Ever since it was revealed earlier this month that Prince Harry and his family, who now reside in the United States, will be returning to the UK, there has been constant buzz and speculation, sprinkled with a few facts.

When and why they’ll be returning to the UK has dominated the media-driven discourse to date.

Prince Harry and his American wife, Meghan Markle, relocated to the United States in March 2020, following a short stay in Canada, after stepping back from being working members of the British royal family. They were married in the UK in 2018. Their departure came amid a wave of controversy, including reports of rifts with other members of the royal family. At the time of the move, it was reported that their decision was also driven by the need for privacy to escape unrelenting media scrutiny. Some coverage has ended up in high-profile court cases. Financial independence and issues of security were also said to have been factors for their move. They also withdrew from royal duties. The couple no longer carry the title of His or Her Royal Highness (HRH), and Prince Harry has also given up his military titles, although he remains close to the British military as an ex-soldier, running support programs for ex-soldiers, including the highly regarded Invictus Games. Prince Harry remains fifth in line to the throne. His wife Meghan, a former actress, has been involved in a series of media projects and is reported to be earmarked for a major upcoming movie project in the UK.

Their two American-born children are formally known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex after King Charles, their grandfather, ascended to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

Just over a year ago, Prince Harry had told the British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC): “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”

The BBC has now reported that ‘since news broke of the move, there has been some confusion as to what British life for Harry and Meghan will look like’. But it claims that a picture is emerging of the family’s priorities. It said the couple will be back in the UK about a week before the autumn school term begins for their two children, seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet. At the same time though, other press reports suggest that a return might be short-term.

Some media outlets have linked Prince Harry’s return to the UK as ‘the prodigal son returning home’, and also to the health of his father, King Charles III. The 77-year-old King has made it public that he has undergone treatment for cancer and has been living with the condition.