Are we all keeping up with the whereabouts of the Sussexes? First, Meghan was coming to the UK. Then she absolutely was not, and nor were the children. Then, on Thursday, the Telegraph broke the urgent news that yes, she absolutely was coming over, and the children, but nobody was going to see them because they would be confined to a small box and only brought out for special family occasions. Something like that, anyway.
This visit, if it does come off, will be the first time the Sussexes have all been in the UK since the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Harry had previously seen his father in September 2025 for a private – and short – visit at Clarence House.
Despite the outcome of his court case this week, Harry is on more comfortable ground this time. He is marking the countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, one of his unquestionably successful brainwaves, as well as an admirable one. His moves were noted and planned for, but the question of whether or not his family would acquire security meant that Meghan’s presence went from a certainty to a question mark.
There’s always that one person you’re never quite sure about turning up, whether to a drinks party or to the Met Gala.
So much for worrying whether you’re NFI; the real power here is in NFTU (not f***ing turning up). Do the thing no one expects you to do. It’s like Iran suddenly discovering it has the power to shut down all global shipping traffic by closing the Strait of Hormuz. Except for Meghan, it’s web traffic.
Now, not all “will-she-won’t-she” is cool. There is a significant element of doubt about whether or not I will attend parties, but that is more down to “Will I burst into tears at the prospect of leaving the house during a heatwave, or simply melt into a puddle of red hair?”
Reading between the lines, there seems to have been an agreement, whether between the Palace and the Sussexes, or Harry and Meghan themselves, that she will keep a low profile. She will not be making public appearances and is no longer scheduled to appear at today’s Invictus Games countdown event. Nor will the children be shown off in public – as well as the Windsors, Harry apparently wants to see the Spencers, so the children should hopefully have a proper family holiday being alternately bored and bribed by relatives, as is tradition.
It is bewilderingly sad that a grandfather and his grandchildren have never seen each other: at seven and five, Harry and Meghan’s kids are now interesting little people who are probably very much aware of the world and wondering why they only see one grandparent. Admittedly, Charles’s reign, by which I mean the actual business of being King, and his cancer treatment have somewhat occupied him in recent years, and, of late, much of his and William’s time has been spent in rebuilding public trust in the monarchy, opening their tax returns and sorting out Andrew. So the ball is firmly in Harry’s court.
Ours is not to reason why. I have met Charles, and he came across as a kind, decent man with a good sense of humour. You do rather wish a more peaceful and boring time for that family in the future. And, hopefully, for the Sussexes to be able to introduce their children to their broader relations.
Will they or won’t they? And, of course, what will she be wearing? It’s this sort of deep thought that keeps us all going – and going mad – during a heatwave.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.independent.co.uk ’
