Could Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the UK lead to a royal reconciliation with King Charles?

So, Dot, you know that meme of Harvey Price, Katie Price's son, where he's like, oh, what a day, what a day

What a day, what a 24 hours. What a 24 hours, because Harry and Meghan are U-turning and returning to the United Kingdom after six years of Megxit

Welcome to this GBN original special, royal special, with me, Cameron Walker, and Dorothy Reddy

The shock news came with several exclusives from two newspapers, an Australian publication and People magazine in the US

So they certainly covered all the bases, didn't they? Yes, they did. They got a broadsheet in there

They got a tabloid and they got Australian and American coverage. So everybody heard the news. Megan and Harry are coming home

Yes. I mean, everybody else was scrambling around trying to confirm it. GB News managed to confirm it pretty much bang on 10 o'clock when this story was released

Well done, all of us. and yes it is the shock news because of course no one really saw this coming because Harry and

Meghan it would appear in the US were having quite a nice life I think there was always the

rumours that Harry wasn't particularly happy or was happier in the UK doing the stuff that he

actually knew about charity engagements with the Invictus game supporting veterans sick children

with well child and the rest of it but Meghan's life is California Meghan's life is her as ever

business her lifestyle brands the netflix show we don't know if that's being renewed i don't think

it is um but i'm really struggling to see what megan's guessing out of this i i actually completely

agree i think like you said harry and megan in the uk they they have status that you can't buy

they're part of the royal family whereas in the us they were they were celebrities but you see

celebrities in california all the time of course california is where megan grew up

um you know harry claimed multiple times that the u.s was now his home he was raising his children

there they were going to school but of course his father is over here his father has cancer we know

that his cancer treatment has reduced and we know that it's going well um but he obviously wants to

spend some more time with his family um but william and harry have not spoken for several years

i think like you said it's understandable why harry wants to come back but i don't know what

Megan has going for her here I mean her brand is actually very California coded you know flower

sprinkles I don't know who in the UK where the market for that is and interestingly you can't

buy as ever products in the UK yes I think even the yummy mummies of southwest London would not

be buying flower sprinkles and so but also her jam you can't buy us in the UK but not that we tried

we tried you can't get I love jam I try it as well well maybe if she is coming to the UK we know

that she's going to be sticking with as ever, but that brand is going to be still in the US

Again, tricky for her, but maybe she'll start to bring it over to the UK, but that's the only thing I can think of

My royal source told me that the king's naturally delighted that he's going to be able to spend more time

with his grandchildren. She mentioned he's still undergoing cancer treatment, so I suppose that's a good thing

Although the fact he only found out on Sunday, three days before this public announcement

if you can call this an announcement, is quite surprising, because they saw each other at Highgrove two weeks ago

Apparently it wasn't mentioned. I do find that hard to believe, but apparently it wasn't mentioned. So do you think this sort of blindsided the king

or do you think he would have been actually quite happy about it? Absolutely. To enrol children in school, I think we all know with the catchment areas

it's incredibly difficult. A lot of British families are struggling with that

They will be paying. There's not a hope at hell of them going to a state school. I can guarantee you that

But this has had to be in the planning for a very, very, very long time

and to get a property in time for the children's term dates in September

We, of course, don't know where. They're keeping that private because of security reasons

But, you know, British mums at the school gate love to talk. I think we'll find out, you know

But I think, yeah, absolutely. King Charles, you would have hoped would have been told

when they saw him in High Grove House. The first time, you know, he'd seen Archie and Lillibet in four years

The first time he'd seen Meghan in, I think, since 2022, the Platinum Jubilee. Yeah, why wouldn't they tell him

Well, I've got a, maybe not a theory, that's probably the wrong words, but they managed to look at schools and enrol Archie and Lilibet in a school without anybody noticing

They also managed to acquire a property, we think renting to start with rather than buying

and we think in the Cotswolds, but again, without anybody noticing. So their argument that when they left as working members of the royal family

and of course all the tabloid battles since, that they were the subjects of intense media intrusion

well, does that actually stack up? Because they clearly could go on holiday to Portugal

without paparazzi snapping them all the time and view schools and, in fact, view properties

I mean, even the Prince and Princess of Wales had a lot of media attention on what schools they were looking at from Rich George before finally seeing Eton So you know they can fly under the radar without the tabloids getting involved They can And they have made multiple statements Harry specifically you know I can see a time when I can ever bring my wife and children

back to the UK and all of these things. And Meghan not wanting to go to London over the summer because they didn't get taxpayer

funded police security. And suddenly they're coming back. I, I, I'm honestly, I'm just speechless

I don't, I have absolutely no idea what's happening here. and obviously from a royal journalist standpoint i'm excited because this means more appearances

it means you know much more to write about much more to talk about but it's it is absolutely

baffling well i've got a bone to pick with andy burnham our prime minister and that is because he

did an interview today um with a journalist and he was asked about harry and megan let's just have

a quick look at what he said also news overnight um megan and harry moving back to the uk from

California, is the government going to establish their security and pay for it

Well, this is a private matter. It's a matter for Harry and for Meghan. And we wish them well

in the move that they're making. A private matter? See, I don't think it is a private matter

their security, because there's two things that are possible scenarios here. The first is that

Harry is now satisfied with the level of protection he is getting, which would suggest

it's been increased to potentially close protection officers who are armed have access to MI5

protection, MI5 intelligence even, which can potentially cost hundreds of thousands, if not

millions a year. Who's going to be paying for that? The British taxpayer. So I would suggest to Mr

Burnham and the Home Secretary, Siobhan Mammud and others, that it is in the public interest

that British taxpayers are paying for non-working royals protection. And the Home Office can give us

the same statement for a year and even more for all it likes saying we don't comment on individual

security no one is asking the chapter and verse as to how these two individuals are being protected

but what we are asking for is an indication as to whether their security has been stepped up

which would cost the British taxpayers because of course Harry made the same claim over and over

again that he didn't feel safe in the UK without that without that specific police taxpayer funded

security. So you're right, what's changed? If they're putting the bill for their own security

then absolutely fine. But it's not the level of security that he wants, like you said, with MI5

MI6, you know, intelligence, all of those things. So it's absolutely baffling. I completely agree

It is in the public interest. And Andy Burnham should absolutely let us know

Just to confirm or deny, that's all we need. And if, as you alluded to there

the security level hasn't changed, and it is just Harry and Meghan privately funding

their private security team, then fine. But then the question is, well, what was the point of suing His Majesty's government, Harry

in His Majesty's courtroom, putting your father, the king, in a really tricky constitutional position

Then, of course, losing the case, doing an interview with the BBC where you say

I don't know how much longer my father has left to live

Very uncomfortable for Buckingham Palace. He's trying to keep his medical details relatively private

And of course, there's no suggestion that it's anything other than the king's cancer is going in a very positive direction

But also, of course, he said, my father won't speak to me because of his security situation

So was it worth it, Harry? Or have you just simply given up with your security fight

Fair enough if he has and wants to just live a quiet, non-confrontational life

And he's also been in the courtrooms. Let's not forget, you know, dragging the British press through the courts endlessly

recently just lost a huge huge case against the daily mail ended up footing not only his own legal

bill but also baroness lawrence's legal bill so harry has had to put out a lot of money recently

yeah you think part of why he wants to come back as well is probably just because it's a cheaper

cost of living in the uk than it is in california possibly i mean we're certainly going to so we're

going to find out on friday exactly how much harry has to pay if anything that's going to be the

ruling's kind of being handed down um but i don't know how much it's going to cost him to be in the

uk i mean the cotswolds is not exactly cheap is it we know they're not going to be staying in a royal residence so the whole building's going to have to be you know guarded as it were and then

of course we come to the problem or question i should say rather than problem of prince william

now a lot of people have actually been saying online and i actually kind of agree with them

that they feel sorry for the prince and princess of wales no matter you know all of the noise that

has been created by Harry and Meghan, some of their own making, some not so much

But all of that noise, Kensington Palace, William and Catherine have maintained a dignified silence

throughout this whole. And that shows in the public opinion polls, William and Catherine very much on top

Harry and Meghan at the bottom, apart from, of course, Andrew and Fergie. Absolutely

I think Catherine and William have been so dignified. Like you said, when Spare was released, the allegations that were made in there you know William pushed me and knocked me on a dog bowl and it broke I paraphrasing I can remember exactly what was said But you know William could have issued a statement after that

But the fact that he didn't, I think the British public disrespected that. You know, like the late Queen Elizabeth II's mantra was never complain, never explain

Just keep your head up and keep moving on. And if anything, it's completely backfired on Prince Harry and Meghan to an extent with everything that she said in the Netflix docuseries

and it's just you can't go on tv and talk about your family and talk about your indoors like that

and not expect people to have a visceral reaction and say we don't like this we don't respect this

because we wouldn't do it to our own families well kensley's palace declining to comment

on this situation they don't really comment on private family matters however it's much easier

to ignore the what they would see as the harry megan sussex problem when they live on the other

side of the Atlantic, not so easy to ignore them when they're living 50 miles away from you

for example. So could we be in a situation, particularly come September, when Harry

we know, is scheduled to do a lot of charity events of Well Child and Invictus. If that's clashing with William's stuff, it's okay one week a year. But if that's all the time

that's going to create problems for William and Catherine. Absolutely. So, of course, they're not resuming their roles as working royals. So they're not

going to be carrying out engagements on behalf of His Majesty the King but they can still do their

private charitable endeavours so Prince Harry at the Well Child Awards for example which he does

every year anyway but will we see Meghan out and about you know going to women's shelters and you

know things that we know that she's passionate about or will she just only be an entrepreneur

and continue her as has as ever brand back and forth from Montecito to the Cotswolds we're

assuming and it's going to be interesting also if they pick the Cotswolds who lives in the

Cotswolds, Princess Anne, the Getcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire in the heart of the

Cotswolds. Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips both live on the same estate. There's a lot

of family members that you could be costing into. And Princess Beatrice and Eduardo. Oh

of course. A little co-op to see in the Cotswolds. Yeah. And Jeremy Clarkson as well, who we

know famously gets on well with Meghan Markle or not. Yes, tricky. But also Soho Farmhouse

is in near in the Cotswolds, which of course is where Meghan has her hand do, by the by

Do we think that William and Harry are going to have to speak sooner rather than later

We understand they have not spoken for a number of years. But I think as the king ages and as we've heard, he is looking forward to spending more time with his grandchildren

Inevitably, there's going to be family events where he wants to invite both his sons and their offspring to

Most notably, possibly, well, the Easter service at Windsor. But then, of course, Christmas at Sandsingham, which I think is going to be the big one

are we going to see William and Harry walking to church together? I think there's that

And there's also the Princess of Wales every single year in December holds a Christmas carol concert

Oh, I did not even think of that. At Westminster Abbey. And, you know, yes, at Sandringham, you are correct

non-working members of the royal family like Beatrice and Eugenie go, but at the Christmas carol concert, you know

Freddie Windsor and his wife Sophie Winkleman go, you know, that's how minor we're getting

That's how they get invited. So can Catherine invite them without inviting her literal brother-in-law and sister-in-law

Do you know what I mean? It's going to get so tricky. But, you know, I love a reconciliation

I love a get-together party. And, you know, I want everybody to get along

So I would hope that one day, you know, but has too much been said

We obviously can't speak for Harry. We can't speak for William. But I think William will at some point have to address the Sussex issue

Because one day he will be king. And will he want this issue carrying on, you know

I think there's certainly a trust issue there. I don't think Harry and Meghan are going to go to the Christmas concert because it would completely overshadow the entire thing at Westminster Abbey. And it is a very special event. I've been very lucky and managed to go a couple of times. And it is wonderful and very uplifting just for Christmas. And of course, Harry, I think for William, actually, he wants a slimmed down monarchy when he becomes king. And I tweeted about this and I've written it in my now, assistantjuvenears.com. If you want to have a read, forward slash royal

but there was a photograph I was covering I was at Buckingham Palace

to cover the late Queen's 100th what would have been her 100th birthday and all the working royals were there

and a photograph was taken of them and it was very stark

seeing William and Catherine alongside the King and Queen and all other working members

of the royal family apart from the Prince and Princess of Wales nobody else was under the age of 60

that is a problem now we know William wants a slims down monarchy

but they're looking thinner and thinner on the grounds particularly as we still have George

Charlotte and Louis going through school. Maybe William's okay with that but you know Harry would

be a good extra pair of hands I hate to say it and I'm sure we'll be told by saying saying this

but will the British public accept that or indeed William? I think it's also yes I agree but it's

important to remember as well the royal family has these in-between stages because after the

tragic death of Princess Diana and before Charles married Camilla which was in 2005 that was a long gap and William and Harry were still either at school or in university at that time It took then years until 2011 when William married Catherine You know there these huge years in between where we didn actually have these glamorous royals these younger royals

So I think the royal family will continue to thrive. I do believe that

But yes, I think, you know, Princess Anne just turned 76. The hardest working member of the royal family by a long while

But goodness me, when she's in her 80s, you would hope when you get to your 80s that you're allowed to start slowing down

And I think maybe Harry will want to take on royal duties

I think he misses that, especially the military side of things. You know, he was literally at an event in Washington yesterday speaking to American service personnel

So maybe he'll want to. I don't think Meghan has much of an interest, but, you know, we'll see

Only time will tell. Yes. Well, let's end by talking about Meghan here because she, I'm really struggling to see what she's going to get out of the UK. Of course, she did a lot of work with the Grenfell Tower victims when she was still a working member of the royal family

And that was brilliant. own and that was good and you know a lot of people praised her for that but then since then i think

it's gonna be very hard for the british public actually to forgive both megan and harry if they

are going to try and weave their way back into charity and public life um because of the betrayal

of the royal family the trashing of the uk the racism allegations that they aired on oprah

winfrey now harry then said in the subsequent interview that no it wasn't right we didn't

accuse him of racism we accused him of unconscious bias but why did it take you three years harry

to correct the record on this. And the British public aren't stupid

They're not going to forget this. No, not at all. That interview made me want to tear my hair out

when I watched it. Honestly, I just thought, that's the definition of gaslighting

Honestly, that is what you said. So yeah, honestly, only time will tell

But I really hope for reconciliation. I really, out of this massive surprise

that nobody saw coming, who knows, none of us might see a reconciliation coming as well

and it might just be around the corner. but you know we had absolutely the two of us had absolutely no idea this was coming last night we

were in the office at quarter to ten yes and we were going what's this dropping 15 minutes it was

absolutely massive so only time will tell but i really really do hope that one day this will all

be sorted out well we can only hope and a quick fire round to end what kind of prophecy in the

cox world or elsewhere do you think they're going to be living in is it going to look like the want to see so mansion or something else i think this because there's two sides of the cotswolds

isn't there there's the sort of more normal side and there's the side where ella de jenner lives

and reportedly beyonce and jay-z have a property i think anyone who doesn't like donald trump has

moved in cotswolds it will probably be that side if i had to guess um i think it will probably i

actually think it might look like beatrice and eduardo's property which is like a farmhouse

kind of style property i think so okay what about you it will fit in with soho farmhouse i think it's

going to be as you say something that looks exactly like soho farmhouse other private

members clubs are available and the interior the interiors as well yes it will all be that

it will be that soho home stuff um and then just finally predictions top three predictions for the

schools that the schools that um archie and lillibus are going to go to well luggrove maybe

that's where harry which is in berkshire so if they're living in the cotswolds i don't know well

maybe they'll be boarding. That is true. I think Prince Harry has always been very, very open

about how much he actually loved Ludgrove School, less positive about Eton

So we can assume Archie won't be going there. Of course, Prince George is due to start there in September

future king. And I think an actual contender could be Bedale School

which is in Hampshire, and that's actually where Princess Margaret's two children went

Lady Sarah Chateau and Biscount Lindley. So maybe there... I mean, is there a possibility that they could go to Lambrook

Possibly, but can you imagine? There's no way the Waleses and the Sussexes are avoiding each other if they go to Lambrook

This is where, of course, Louis and Charlotte still attend. Yeah. Are they going to go there

I mean, that would be a story and a half. That would be incredible. Yeah

And then there would be, and I feel like we get strongly worded letters from both Team Sussex and Team Wales being like

don't you dare put cameras on those gates. I think also remember back to 2022, Megan sat down for an interview with The Cut, which is an American magazine

And she said, I wouldn't be able to bring my children to a UK school because there'd be about 40 paparazzi outside taking the picture, which isn't how it works

This is a very organised event, which is usually reserved for the future king of England and their siblings

So both Charlotte and George had this on their first day at Thomas's in Battersea and their first day with Louis at Lambrook

it's you know the royal rota is there it's very organized it's it's planned well in advance

and it's just that day it's the first day of term and then they're never bothered again

how it worked and that's it well we look at seeing those pictures of george starting

in a couple of weeks um but this is clearly only the beginning of this story we'll rumble on

dorothy thank you very much for joining me let us know what you think uh in the comments

or of course tvness.com forward slash you'll say uh but for now goodbye