After more than seven years of royal upheaval, it feels as though Harry and Meghan have circled right back to where they began.

This week Meghan returned to a Hollywood film set, while Harry was in Canada, relaxed and joking with soldiers — doing exactly what he has always excelled at. Before they left the UK, the late Queen hoped they would help advance the Commonwealth. They rejected that idea at the time, yet Harry now appears to be stepping into the very role she envisioned.

And truthfully, he’s good at it. I remember Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declining a visit from Princess Anne and specifically asking for Harry instead.

Harry’s Renewed Connection to Service

At a dinner in Toronto for the True Patriot Love Foundation, Harry spoke warmly about meeting Canadian World War Two veterans and stressed how civilians must support those who served. Remembrance weekend has always mattered enormously to him. I’m certain he has already reached out to children from Scotty’s Little Soldiers — a charity for kids who lost a military parent — ahead of their march at the Cenotaph.

He was even expected to joke about his bald spot — something that brought back memories of 2015, when he gleefully slapped a purple paint-covered hand on my head in New Zealand after I said on TV that he was going bald. Now he’s happy to laugh about it.

Are They Settling Into a Calmer Life?

After five years of chaos, perhaps the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are finding their way back to what they’re naturally good at — and possibly onto a path that could lead them closer to the royal family again.

The question I hear most on royal tours since Megxit is: “Will Prince Harry ever come back?”
People rarely ask that about Meghan. Too much has happened for many to imagine her return.

Still, the events of this week give me some hope that the turbulence coming from Montecito may finally be easing.

The Damage They Must Repair

King Charles showing his firmness by removing Prince Andrew from his home and stripping him of titles may have sent a clear message: Harry and Meghan need to sort out their lives. The couple treated both the King and the late Queen poorly, and the public will need convincing that they truly grasp the harm they caused — including the explosive suggestion that the Royal Family was racist, as Meghan implied in her 2021 Oprah interview.

Queen Elizabeth’s response — “recollections may vary” — was remarkably gracious. Whether the public can be as forgiving is another question.

Harry’s Growing Reflection — And Regret

Harry seems eager to reconnect with the public, who still rank him as their eleventh favourite royal in a recent YouGov poll. The release of his 647-word essay, The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What It Means To Be British, only reinforces the sense that he misses the UK.

I believe he is finally regretting his choices.

His reminder — to talk to a soldier, buy them a drink, acknowledge their service — suggests he is rediscovering what he once loved about being a prince. He left behind a life where he was admired, especially by young people, to live in luxury in California. The cost of that trade-off may be clearer to him now.

Meghan’s Hollywood Return

Meghan, meanwhile, has experimented with numerous projects — cooking ventures, jam-making, lifestyle branding, even podcasting — none of which have truly taken off. Now she’s back on a studio set in Los Angeles, acting alongside Lily Collins and Brie Larson in Close Personal Friends.

I hope it succeeds, though early critics are skeptical. Meghan is not a bad actress — she proved that as Rachel Zane in Suits — and I always thought she seemed genuine when I covered her engagements across the UK, Ireland and Morocco. I never imagined she had other plans.

Yet nearly every project she has launched since leaving has stumbled, from the Oprah interview backlash to the lukewarm reception of With Love, Meghan.

The Question of a Return to the UK

Whether acting becomes her long-term path is unclear — as is the question of whether she and Harry will ever return to Britain.

Right now, a duke and duchess — a prince and princess — who could be an asset to the monarchy are living halfway across the world in practical exile. One concern I’ve always had is that the King doesn’t see his American-accented grandchildren. It would mean so much to people here if Harry and Meghan brought Archie and Lilibet back, even briefly.

Harry still worries about security in the UK, but if he stayed with the King, they would be well protected. Imagine the children spending summer at Balmoral with their cousins, playing in the forests and lakes, discovering their heritage. It would be good for everyone.

A Quiet Father–Son Meeting

Harry and the King recently met at Clarence House for nearly an hour, though we may never know what was said. I hope Harry showed some remorse — perhaps even apologized — for the pain he has caused his father.

It would be at least a first step toward healing what has been broken.