Doria Ragland, the mother of Meghan Markle, will not be accompanying her daughter and Prince Harry to Britain, sources have indicated. The Sussexes are reportedly planning a return to the UK in the coming days, with the intention of enrolling their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in British schools.
Ragland, 69, has been a consistent figure in the Sussex family's life since their relocation to the United States in 2020. She resides in Los Angeles, a drive of less than two hours from the Sussexes' Montecito home. This proximity has facilitated a close bond with her grandchildren, with whom she frequently spends time and provides care.
This contrasts with the relationship Archie and Lilibet have with their paternal grandparents, King Charles and Queen Camilla. The children met their grandparents in person for the first time in four years during the Sussexes' visit to the UK in early July, at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.
Sources cited by TMZ suggest Ragland's decision to remain in California is due to her established life there, including a network of friends and her engagement in yoga practices. She has been a constant presence in the family's life in California since Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals.
Reports suggest that the Sussexes' potential move back to the UK is a temporary or a "day-by-day" decision. Ragland, a social worker and yoga instructor, has largely maintained a low profile since attending the royal wedding in 2018. She was present at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Windsor in 2018.
Despite her general avoidance of the public eye, Ragland has appeared in photos and videos shared by her daughter. These include a Mother's Day trip to Disneyland in California in May, and footage shared in January showing her with Lilibet in the family's swimming pool.
In 2020, a source told The Mail on Sunday that Prince Harry particularly relies on Ragland for advice, describing her as a source of stability and warmth, especially given his loss of his own mother at a young age. Harry has previously described Ragland as "amazing" in a 2017 BBC interview. Ragland lived with the couple at Frogmore Cottage for six weeks following the birth of Archie in 2019. She was born in Ohio in 1956 and has lived in Los Angeles since childhood.
