There seems to be none of the visceral anger that there was in the heyday of the Sussex unburdening: the Netflix documentary, the Oprah interview, the memoir, the accusations about the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the sharing of family secrets.
Instead, among palace allies and staff, there is a hope that the public understands the situation well enough to make up its own mind.
Where the Sussexes have been viewed and treated as royal in other parts of the world, where there is less day-to-day knowledge of the British Royal family, Britain is used to the language of a “quasi-royal tour” and “ex-working royals”.
They are returning to Prince Harry’s home not on the crest of a wave of their commercial success, but in a lull: the Duchess’s As Ever consumables brand is in a marketing blitz, while Netflix viewers and podcast company Lemonada are awaiting their next project.
Cynics believe they need a fresh promotional boost by visiting the King, although Sussex allies would point out that they have travelled around the world promoting Invictus events and this is no exception.
The King is likely to see his son, and his grandchildren, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, although there is no confirmed time in the diary yet.
The dynamic is “complex”, insiders admit, but there is a grudging understanding that Buckingham Palace will liaise with Prince Harry’s team. They have already extended an invitation to stay at a royal residence.
Those who have watched the Sussexes since the difficult days of the Sandringham Summit warn only of the unwelcome creep of “half-in, half-out”, the arrangement expressly forbidden by the late Queen.
There is a fear that such a trip to Britain will be accompanied or followed by interviews. Formerly it would have been a red rag to a royal bull. Now, the prospect is summed up by one source as “eye-roll territory”.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.telegraph.co.uk ’
