Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s U.K. Return Raises a Brand Question, According to an Expert

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent years building a life defined by distance from the royal machine. Their reported return to Britain may test whether that distance was an escape, a reset or another step in their reinvention.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are relocating to the U.K. for an extended period with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who are expected to start school there in September. The family will reportedly keep their Montecito home while establishing a private, nonroyal base in Britain.

“Right now, the public perception about Harry and Meghan is that they are moving back to the U.K. because they didn't reach the level of success they had hoped to in the U.S.,” said Ryan McCormick, co-founder of Goldman McCormick Public Relations.

That reading could be especially complicated for Meghan, whose entertainment career is again in motion. People reported that she is still in talks for a role in Netflix’s The Gentlemen, which films in the U.K., despite reports the opportunity fell through.

McCormick suggested her recent Daytime Emmy nomination for Netflix’s With Love, Meghan gives her a reason to keep building stateside, calling it a “tremendous boost to her prestige.”

“I would advise her to remain in the U.S. for the foreseeable future,” he said.

The move also places Harry nearer to King Charles as the monarch continues cancer treatment. The Sussexes met with Charles and Camilla at Highgrove in July, marking Archie and Lilibet’s first reunion with their grandfather in more than four years.

Still, proximity does not mean Harry and Meghan are returning to royal duties, as the palace has reportedly made clear their status as private, nonworking royals will not change.

“If there is a reconciliation between Harry and his family, it is good optics for him and for Markle,” McCormick said.

“What is the best way to capitalize on restored public respect and admiration? Make additional films, produce new podcasts, write books, create more,” he explained.

Harry’s U.K. pull reportedly includes the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027. Meghan still has business interests in California, including her lifestyle brand As ever.

“I have always seen them as individuals who can draw attention, and because of their ties to the royal family, they will always be relevant in some form,” McCormick said.

“They both have the potential to not only reach their previous level of success but go far beyond it,” he added, though he warned that “they need a consistent, disciplined vision.”