Back in 2020, when Prince Harry and Meghan issued their shocking statement about wanting to step down as working royals, they said they wanted to carve out a “progressive new role within this institution” being financially independent while supporting the Queen. It quickly became clear that they couldn’t have this, and the Sussexes chose to leave.
Yet the idea of whether Harry could be a half-in and half-out working royal has suddenly been propelled back into the spotlight through a series of recent stories in the UK media. Firstly, the Mail on Sunday published a piece claiming how, following their recent meeting when Harry was in the UK, talks were underway to get Charles and Harry to appear publicly together. The piece also cited a source saying that Harry could “take some of the load off” William through his public appearances.
These suggestions, it seems, sparked a fiery reaction in some. A story was published in the Daily Mail (the Mail on Sunday’s sister paper with a different editorial team) describing how “insiders reacted angrily” to the suggestion that Harry could be back in the royal fold.
The Daily Telegraph and The Times also had stories this morning about how the King has made it clear Harry cannot be a half-in, half-out royal. T&C understands that it is Buckingham Palace’s position that there has been no change to the policy set by the late Queen.
For Harry’s part, those close to him today suggested to T&C that he has no interest in returning to the institution of the monarchy. It may have been nostalgic for some to see him carry out engagements in the UK that had echoes of his past position, but as he said about the decision not to allow them to be partial working royals when they stepped back in 2020, “I’ve accepted this, knowing that it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am.”
“That was put to bed years ago,” a source told T&C today on the subject of the half-in, half-out model. “He saw his dad and yes he wants to reconcile with his family. But that doesn’t mean he’s going back into the institution.”
Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures, released in 2021.
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