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His estranged brother Prince Harry is back on British soil, with his kids set to start school imminently, and now sources say Prince William and his wife Kate, Princess of Wales, are feeling “derailed” by a new turn of events.
Harry, his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and the couple’s children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, made an understated return to the UK via a private jet on August 26.
It’s reported that Archie is set to become a day boarder at a school close to the Cotswolds – with the family thought to be seeking a property in the same area in which to set up home.
While some see Harry’s return to the UK as an olive branch of sorts towards his father King Charles – who is undergoing treatment for cancer – one insider told the Mail on Sunday that the Duke remains “just as angry” with his family as he was when he and Meghan departed amid the drama of “Megxit” back in 2020.
“There will be no imminent mea culpa from Harry by the sounds of things. Far from it, in fact. He is still in that Oprah mindset,” the source claimed.
Indeed, Harry and Meghan are yet to be seen publicly since they returned to Britain, with the Duchess of Sussex said to feel “nervous” about doing the school run without adequate security.
“The school run is a tricky issue and I understand they are nervous about it,” a friend of the couple’s told The Sun, while The Mirror reported that the UK’s Home Office was “actively assessing” her and Harry’s security situation once again after the Duke wrote personally to the Home Secretary asking for it to be re-looked at.
While the couple has been keeping a low profile in the mean time, an insider told Vanity Fair that William is now keeping a watchful eye on what happens next.
“There’s a sense that William is going to have to be watching over his shoulder the whole time,” the source revealed.
“He doesn’t know what his brother is going to spring on them all next.
“This was meant to be a happy time for him. Catherine is doing well and George is just about to start Eton [College]. This has just derailed them,” the insider added.
But if William is feeling “derailed”, it is perhaps no surprise that Harry and Meghan are also said to be feeling a little uncomfortable too.
“They’re up to their necks in moving boxes while dealing with all the negative headlines and the very mixed reception they’re getting,” a source tells New Idea, adding that this is no simple move as “there’s so much still to manage back in Montecito”.
“The eight-hour time difference between Los Angeles and London is making everything more complicated,” the source continues.
“Work calls and conversations with people dealing with their house have to be squeezed into awkward windows, adding another logistical headache.
“Then there’s the uncertainty over how things are going to go with the royals, and the British public.
“Meghan is understandably pretty anxious about that and already wondering if this was a mistake.”
Adding further complexity to the situation, the source says, is the “financial pressure” of such a big move.
While the Duke and Duchess’ UK return is said to be being partially funded by a billionaire friend in the form of hedge fund CEO Ian Wace, the couple’s expenses are thought to be significant.
“They spent a fortune to fly there by private jet because of the dogs – it was worth it to them because their dogs are part of the family – but it was another huge expense,” a source tells New Idea.
“Though that’s nothing compared to the cost of adding another household to their monthly overhead. Moving is stressful for anyone, but for Meghan and Harry it’s on another level.”
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