Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the UK could create a major headache for Princess Kate, with one royal commentator warning that their renewed public presence may overshadow the Princess of Wales as she begins a new year of royal engagements.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have returned to Britain after spending six years living in California, where they have been raising their children, Archie and Lilibet, who are now five and seven.
Their arrival has already been accompanied by renewed tensions with the Royal Family.
King Charles issued a pointed letter making clear that Harry and Meghan remain private citizens rather than working royals, despite their return to the UK.
The Sussexes reportedly reacted with surprise, saying they had not been informed about the decision in advance.
Princess Kate (Image: Getty)
Harry and Meghan plan a more public presence
The situation could become even more complicated as Harry prepares for a series of public engagements.
Meghan is also reportedly keen to continue her own charity work, meaning the couple are unlikely to simply return to Britain and remain out of the public eye.
That prospect has prompted concerns among royal commentators that their activities could compete for attention with the working members of the Royal Family.
Writing for news.com.au, royal commentator Daniela Elser argued that Harry and Meghan did not appear likely to quietly retreat from public life.
“It does not appear the Sussexes have any plans to sit quietly in the shires to reclusively collect delphinium cuttings and rescue dogs,” Elser wrote.
She then turned her attention to Kate and questioned whether the Sussexes’ activities could take attention away from the Princess of Wales.
“For Kate, what are the chances of Harry and Meghan’s off-brand royalling not stealing all the available thunder?” she asked.
Elser went even further, describing the Princess of Wales’ upcoming schedule as potentially extremely difficult.
“Kate’s new working royal year is shaping up to be hell,” she wrote.
Could Harry’s appearances overshadow William and Kate?
The timing is particularly significant because the Royal Family is also returning to public duties following its summer break.
As senior royals prepare for a series of engagements, Harry’s appearances could generate headlines of their own, potentially creating comparisons between the Sussexes and the working Royal Family.
Royal editor Hugo Vickers has warned that the problem could extend beyond Kate to Prince William.
Speaking about Harry’s planned activities, Vickers said there was a risk that his appearances would inevitably be viewed through the lens of his brother’s public engagements.
“The awful thing is that whenever they come to this country, if William is doing one thing and Harry is doing another, it will be interpreted as a competition—even if Harry does not intend it to be,” he said.
Vickers argued that the resulting comparisons could become a distraction from the work being carried out by the Royal Family.
“Therefore, it becomes a distraction. I don’t quite know what they want to do, but presumably, they want to raise their profile.”
Fears of an ‘alternative court’
The royal commentator also raised the possibility that a more prominent public role for Harry and Meghan could create the impression of a separate royal sphere operating alongside the official Royal Family.
“If they intend to be public figures and carry out more of these appearances, they will inevitably be in competition with the royal family—effectively setting up an alternative court,” Vickers said.
“That is not a positive development.”
With Harry and Meghan now back in the UK and apparently preparing for a more visible public presence, attention is once again turning to the relationship between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family.
For Kate, William and the other working royals, the challenge may be maintaining focus on their own schedules while avoiding a new round of comparisons with Harry and Meghan.
And with the royal feud still rumbling on, their return could ensure that tensions—and headlines—remain firmly in the spotlight.