Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly have an “open invitation” to visit with the Royal family at the Balmoral retreat in Scotland. However, they are expected to ignore the Royal invitation. The Daily Mail’s royal editor Rebecca English reports that Harry and Meghan’s invitation has not “exactly been rescinded, but is certainly not expected to be accepted.”
She cites issues between Harry and his father, King Charles, which “are still not good, although the family feel encouraged by claims that Harry and Meghan are now determined to focus on the future rather than family recriminations.” Additionally, a Royal source states, “If true, that can only be a good thing and may offer a sliver of hope that at some point in the future personal relationships can be rebuilt.” The source added, “It’s been a very visibly challenging year when it comes to the Sussexes.”
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Harry and Markle have had a strained relationship with his family ever since the couple resigned from their Royal duties and did an interview with Oprah that revealed some shocking claims. During a post-interview appearance on CBS Mornings, the iconic TV host shared some new footage of her conversation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, including a portion where Harry discusses the monarchy being a “toxic” environment. He goes on to say that while he has had to learn to separate himself from it, his father, Prince Charles, has made “peace” with the toxicity.
In a clip from the interview, Harry specifically refers to the unspoken relationship that he says the Royals have with U.K. tabloids. He spoke of this during the main interview, but in the new footage, he addresses the tabloids having the Royal family members under “control” through “fear.” This, he says, is the “toxic environment” he had to escape. Oprah then asked if Harry and Markle’s perception of the situation is shared by the rest of his family, specifically, his father. “I think he’s had to make peace with it,” Harry replied.
More recently, it was reported that the pair may change their family name. In 2020, Harry and Markle stepped down from royal duties, however, they have continued to use the Sussex titles that were gifted to them on their wedding day by Harry’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The couple has since gone to take the last name Mountbatten-Windsor, which they also gave to their two children: Archie and Lilibet.
Royal author Tom Bower has stated that he believes Harry and Meghan may change their name, yet again, to use his late mother’s maiden name: Spencer. “What’s really interesting in the rebranding of the Sussexes is that Meghan decided her real object in life was to be Diana,” Bower told GB News. “That has always been her passion, that has also been Harry’s passion, and Meghan went to the extent of suggesting that they should drop the name Windsor and take the surname Spencer. So she’d be Meghan Spencer – the new Diana.” This report remains unconfirmed at this time.
