What we know about Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan return to the UK
USA TODAY’s royals reporter Jennifer Hassan answers the questions swirling around Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s plans to return to the UK.
Video Team – USA TODAY Entertainment
Amid talks that an acting job is a reason for her move to the United Kingdom, Duchess Meghan’s casting in Guy Ritchie‘s “The Gentlemen” show has been withdrawn, according to a new report.
The Duchess of Sussex was initially offered a role in Season 3 of the Netflix series before the backlash in the U.K. made it “untenable to go forward,” according to an Saturday, Aug. 22, Substack essay by Tina Brown, former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker.
USA TODAY has reached out to Netflix and representatives of the duchess for comment.
The “Suits” alum’s reported move to her husband Prince Harry’s home country in August has shocked the world, prompting many questions about why. Acting could be one reason for the couple’s imminent return to Britain, USA TODAY understands.
An Aug. 21 report from Australia’s News.com.au, stated that the As Ever founder was offered a role in an upcoming project based in Britain, citing entertainment sources. The report did not directly mention “The Gentleman,” which filmed its first two seasons in south-central England.
Before marrying Harry in 2018, Meghan was a working actress largely known for her role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama “Suits” for seven seasons.
In a 2017 interview after their engagement, Meghan discussed her decision to pause her acting pursuits telling the BBC that “I don’t see it as giving anything up. I see it as a change. It’s a new chapter.”
Earlier this week, The Telegraph reported that the Sussex family would be returning to the United Kingdom after spending six years in the United States. In 2020, the pair stepped back from roles in the royal family and boarded a plane out of London.
The couple and their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, will relocate in August before starting school in September, People and The Telegraph reported Aug. 19. Harry and Meghan will reportedly maintain their homes in Montecito, California, and Portugal.
Their return comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited England in July, their first trip to Prince Harry’s homeland together since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. During the trip, King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed the family of four at Buckingham Palace on July 10, according to BBC.
Their move has prompted mixed reactions from both sides of the Atlantic including confusion, frustration and celebration. Many are confused by the decision given the ongoing rift with the wider royal family and concerns Harry has expressed over a lack of security in the U.K.
Contributing: Jennifer Hassan, USA TODAY