Meghan Markle stepped down from her royal duties about 6 years ago, along with her husband, Prince Harry.
Since then, she has found personal and professional success. She has built her own freedom, created the Archewell media brand, launched ventures like As Ever and With Love, Meghan, earned awards for charity work, and become a global speaker and influencer featured on major magazine covers.
Still, royal experts say this success in the U.S. may now make her feel guilty, as it is reasonable for her to consider her children’s future heritage.
Prince Harry does not share that guilt because, unlike his wife, he is willing to travel to the UK at least a dozen times. He has also penned love letters to his native country.
Nonetheless, an insider told royal author Tom Quinn that Meghan “does miss some aspects of life in the UK and worries that her children will blame her if they never get to see their cousins and feel as adults that they have been deprived of what might have been a fun and meaningful existence in the UK.”
A Heritage Crisis for Archie and Lilibet
The conflict for the Duchess of Sussex lies between the desire for the privacy and professional independence she has achieved, and the wish to connect her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to their heritage.
This heritage includes a grandfather, King Charles III, and an uncle, Prince William, who is and will be King, as well as their cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
In a recent interview, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond described this as “a legitimate point.” Speaking to the Mirror, Bond claimed: “Children grow up and are innately curious about their heritage and background… and when your heritage is one of the most famous families in the world, it will undoubtedly seem rather odd and perhaps sad that you hardly know or remember them.”
The Price of Parental Decisions
Bond went on to explain that limited contact with family could have potential psychological impacts, and suggested that the responsibility for this situation could ultimately fall to the Duchess: “Imagine Archie, aged 15, telling his friends, ‘My grandpa is/was King! And my Uncle is/will be King too.’ But he hardly knew or met them. How sad… and Meghan would have to bear the brunt of the responsibility for that.”
Markle may consider options to address the distance from the family, allowing the children to get to know their relatives.
The Non-Existent Relationship
Royal experts are largely in agreement that the bond between the five young royals is currently “non-existent.” Prince Archie, who left the U.K. before his first birthday, and Princess Lilibet, who was born in the U.S., have had virtually no interaction with the Prince and Princess of Wales’s schildren visiting the UK
Lack of Shared Experience: According to royal author Phil Dampier, the Waleses children “know very little about their cousins across the pond and are never likely to be close to them.” Cousins who do not see each other miss out on being “keepers of family memories and traditions.”
The Age Gap Factor: While the children are only separated by a few years, the lack of regular in-person interaction means they miss the crucial “built-in playmate” phase when cousin bonds are easily forged through shared childhood experiences, such as summers, holidays, and spontaneous playdates.
Loss of Unique Support: According to experts, in families, cousins occupy a unique psychological space, offering emotional support and understanding without the daily pressure/judgment, and tensions between siblings. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are missing out on the opportunity to connect with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who share an incredibly unique background.
Prince Harry’s Eagerness and The Current Opportunity
Aware that the separation may not be beneficial to either party, Prince Harry has repeatedly expressed his hope that his children understand their heritage and see the kind of life he experienced. Following his most recent solo visit to London, Prince Harry sounded positive about maintaining a family connection to the U.K.
During an interview on his way to Ukraine, the Duke of Sussex told The Guardian: “Yes, I have enjoyed the week. I have always loved the UK, and I always will love the UK. It’s been good to reconnect with the causes I am passionate about. I have been able to spend some time with people whom I have known for so long. It is hard to do it from far away.”
When asked if he would bring his children to the U.K., Harry replied: “Yes, I would. This week has definitely brought that closer.”
Given Prince Harry’s strong desire to bring his family back to the U.K. and the possibility of future regret, as described by royal experts, this may be an opportune time for Meghan Markle to seek reconciliation with King Charles.
Markle and Prince Harry might seek a private meeting with King Charles during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
The former actress could potentially accompany Prince Harry on a future trip to the U.K. She has travelled to Paris; therefore, she can hop over the pond to London.
Even if Markle took the first step towards the family, this might be an impossible mission to accomplish, as King Charles could reject the reconciliation.
