The Real Reason A Royal Biographer Thinks Prince Harry Will Return To His Family

Since Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, there has been speculation about how happy the Duke of Sussex is with his new life in the United States. His friend, Bryony Gordon, claims that Prince Harry has been "set free" by his new life in California. "He is no longer living in fear of the repercussions of existing as himself, as he wants and needs to be," Gordon wrote in The Telegraph. "He knows he has made mistakes — who among us hasn't? — but he now sees that the most efficient way to live is truthfully, and not just by the expectations of others."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did return to the U.K. in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. The crowd of onlookers had a mixed reaction to the couple as they headed into St. Paul's Cathedral at the National Service of Thanksgiving. While inside, they sat separately from Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, and the Duchess of Cambridge. The Daily Beast noted Prince William and Prince Harry reportedly did not have any private interactions at during the festivities.

Hope is not lost, however, with a source revealing that the Duchess of Cambridge has invited Harry to her and William's joint 40th birthday party in the hopes that it will mend fences between the brothers. And another royal expert believes that Harry might actually return to Great Britain to "take the pressure off" William as he prepares to one day become king.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have stepped up with their royal duties since the Sussexes left for the United States. But according to Tina Brown, author of "The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor, the Truth and the Turmoil," William and Kate might not be able to keep up with the workload long-term. With that in mind, they might ask the Duke of Sussex to return to the UK to help them fulfill their obligations.

"It's looking a bit skeletal, because they weren't supposed to be losing Andrew or Harry, so a bit of a problem slimmed-down monarchy at the moment. I think there is a great effort to try to make everybody focus on the heir, Charles, and William and Kate. But there is a lot of pressure on that," Brown said during a podcast interview, per The Independent. "And I do think at a certain point they are going to need Harry back, particularly probably after the Queen dies, because he was an asset."

Brown had previously speculated that Prince Charles will also want Harry and Meghan back in the royal fold when he becomes king, explaining that the couple "had a young appeal that was very, very potent in the country," per Express.