Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: How will Harry and Meghan's UK move look to the public?

Author: Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2026, 6:34pm

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Well, what about that news that Harry and Meghan are moving back to the UK in the next few weeks, eh? They've already got themselves a home outside London. They've already enrolled their kids in schools and the kids are apparently starting next month.

Now, is that, or is that not, an admission that all of the big plans to become Californian A-listers haven't worked? The Netflix thing hasn't worked. The Spotify thing hasn't worked. They insist the As Ever, Martha Stewart-esque homemaker venture is working but then again, they would say that, wouldn't they?

It is very hard to imagine any other reason for them moving back to a country where about two-thirds of the population despise them and their own family won't even see them.

Now, obviously, on a personal level, this is going to be fascinating to watch because apparently they only told the King about their plans four days ago, when clearly they've been hatching them for months if they already have schools and a home chosen. And William is still so furious, apparently, with Harry over the book that he won't see him.

So all of that is going to be interesting to watch. But on a wider level, on a constitutional level, I think this is going to be interesting as well because, of course, they want to get back in with the royals and establish themselves in some way as either fulltime or part-time working royals, right?

Because what other life do they have? How else will they pay their enormous bills if they're not working for the family firm? Why else would they move back to the UK?

But here's the question for you: how's that going to look to the public, do you think? Will anything point more clearly to the UK public, and really to us as well because he's our King too, that the entire Royal Family is just an expensive play-act than failed A-listers being welcomed back into the show they're running?

And, by the way, if you're wondering why they're doing it now, it's apparently likely they're making the move while Charles is still alive because their chances of convincing him to take them back are obviously greater. If Charles dies and William becomes King, no way.

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