Meghan Markle ‘is holding Harry back from a royal return – will he only move back to the UK if they split?
Royal historian Hugo Vickers said the Duchess of Sussex hasn’t shown any desire “to come back to this country”.
He added that if the King’s youngest son was to reappear in the fold it would have to be a solo decision.
It comes after brother Prince William sent Harry a birthday message to mark his 40th this week in a move considered by some to be an olive branch.
The brothers’ long-running feud intensified after the Duke’s controversial memoir Spare was published in January last year.
The best-selling book – soon to be re-released in paperback – included damaging allegations against the Prince of Wales and his wife Princess Kate.
We also reported last month Harry had contacted former aides to help him plan a comeback from his US exile and spend more time in Britain.
Mr Vickers told the Sun: “The real problem here is that Prince Harry is not going to come back without Meghan, unless, for some reason, they separate, or something goes badly wrong.
“I don’t think she shows any wish at all to come to this country, because she’s not actually very popular in this country.”
He added that Harry himself has “been complicit” in a lot of “quite unpleasant” remarks aimed at the Royal Family made by the Sussexes.
“But I’ve always felt that he was acting rather on instruction,” Mr Vickers continued.
“I would think it was more likely that he would come back on his own at some point, but I don’t see that in the immediate future.
“And in fact, I think it would be a distraction, because, you know people are always talking about Harry and Meghan the whole time.”
He argues that as a nation we “need to concentrate” on the King and the working royals and “all the things that they’re achieving” – with Harry and Meghan having stepped down in 2020.
“If Prince Harry came back,” Mr Vickers continued, “you know, the chances are that people would be wondering why he was back and what he was really up to.”
It comes as the Duke celebrated his milestone birthday on September 15 at a tennis tournament with Meghan, as well as with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet at their home in California.
This was followed by a “weekend getaway” with a few close pals, sources told The Sun.
Mr Vickers said: “I hope he had a nice time with his friends, out and about.
“I think he probably needed to get out and let his hair down a bit and have a bit of fun.
“And if Meghan has allowed him to do that on his birthday, well, all very good. Good on her, basically.”
Referring to a potential reconciliation between the warring brothers, however, Mr Vickers is not so sure.
He told The Sun: “I don’t think that you can assume that from one birthday message that means that all is forgiven, and everybody’s going to be happy, and he’ll come straight home.
“But obviously it’s a step in the right direction. I did, on the other hand, think that it was quite a formal message.”
Mr Vickers said from what he can gather it was a rehash of a message sent by their father King Charles, and was “rather formal” calling Harry the Duke of Sussex.
“It wasn’t the most enthusiastic of messages,” he added, but acknowledge the message “was sent and that was very polite and quite correct”.
“And actually, what everybody should always do in life is behave correctly and politely, and then they can’t be faulted.
“So that was a good start, I guess.”
The Sun has approached the Sussexes’ representatives for comment.
