Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent return to Britain could lead to a division within the royal family, with individuals potentially forming 'rival courts' around the Sussexes and the King, according to veteran royal reporter Richard Kay. Kay, Senior Editor-at-Large for the Daily Mail, discussed the potential ramifications on the Daily Mail's Deep Dive podcast, suggesting that a rift between Harry and his brother, Prince William, makes such a split more likely.
The couple arrived in the UK by private jet on Wednesday and are reportedly renting a home in the Cotswolds, with their children, Archie and Lilibet, enrolled in local schools. This development follows news of their intention to return, which Kay described as a classic tactic by the couple to present the family with a fait accompli.
"The whole thing opens up the prospect of rival courts," Kay stated on the podcast. "By that I mean, figures are going to gather around Harry and Meghan and then there will be those who are going to stay loyal to William and Catherine, and I suppose the King and Queen. That will be an issue that the Royal family, as an institution, will be concerned about."
Kay raised concerns that Harry might assemble a "Praetorian guard" of supporters who could potentially offer public backing or share details about the Sussexes' lives. He noted that celebrities were fascinated by Harry when he moved to America, and a similar interest is likely to surround his current situation, potentially creating a significant diversion for the royal family.
An "extraordinary development" mentioned by Kay was that King Charles reportedly learned of his son's return plans only three days before the decision was made public, despite having met with Harry privately six weeks earlier. Kay characterized this as typical of Harry and Meghan's approach, which often involves surprising the family.
"Was the King blindsided? It certainly looks like that. It does seem incredible that he was only told almost at the last minute," Kay commented. "The whole thing, it's a sort of classic piece of Harry and Meghan, it's how they've approached their lives. They're constantly trying to catch people on the hop. They present situations like: this is it. It's not, 'we're coming home, should we have a discussion about it?' It's, 'We're coming home - live with it.' Full stop."
The veteran reporter suggested that Harry could potentially win back public favor by focusing on his current endeavors. The full discussion is available on the Deep Dive podcast.