Meghan Markle ‘terrified’ as Prince Harry’s decision over UK return ‘sealed’

Threats from ‘lunatics’ and ‘terrorists’ will stop Harry and Meghan coming back to the UK, an expert says, but the Duke would have missed his dad on Father’s Day

Meghan and Harry’s fears for their family’s safety are based on real threats, an expert says(Image: Shutterstock)

The growing distance between Prince Harry and the royal family was highlighted once again at the King’s recent birthday celebrations, where the Duke of Sussex was notably absent. At Trooping the Colour – which marks the monarch’s official birthday – King Charles celebrated alongside his close family, including wife Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, George, Charlotte and Louis. Sadly, Harry and his family were nowhere to be seen.

Following his High Court defeat in May, the Duke of Sussex, 40, revealed that he was hopeful of a reconciliation with his father, but said that wouldn’t be possible until he could keep his wife and children “safe” while in the UK.

Prince Harry was absent once again from the balcony royal line-up(Image: Samir Hussein, Samir Hussein/WireImagevia Getty Images)

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Now, a royal expert says the chances of Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, becoming regular visitors to the UK and growing close to their cousins is looking increasingly unlikely because of Harry and his wife Meghan Markle ’s very valid fears.

“Meghan understandably feels scared about coming to the UK with the children,” says former royal editor Duncan Larcombe. “The threats are real and genuine. The threat is from lunatics, radical protesters that might want to make a name for themselves by jumping in front of them. Then of course you have the worst type, the terrorist threat. And there’s no doubt Harry – and his family, as a result – is a huge target.”

While Meghan, 43, appears to be feeling more comfortable sharing her children with the world – with her viral Baby Momma dance video and a Disneyland holiday album posted to her socials – the idea of her returning to the UK with them is another matter.

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Meghan would never put her family at risk, Duncan says(Image: meghan/Instagram)

A source has told the Mirror that while the mum-of-two is feeling more empowered today, it doesn’t alter her safety worries.

“In some ways she’s feeling stronger and she wants to share that,” our insider said. “But she’s still terrified of putting her kids at risk by coming back to the UK – any parent would panic if they were in Meghan’s shoes.

“So even though Harry is really feeling the absence of his dad, especially after Trooping the Colour and Father’s Day, the security stuff will probably always be an issue.

“He knows that things could’ve been so different if things had gone another way, but it’s been five years since they left the UK and the chances of them coming back, even for a visit, seem slim to none. It’s heartbreaking.”

Meghan has been sharing more of her family life in the US(Image: meghan/Instagram)

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Meghan’s Baby Momma dance video went viral(Image: Meghan/Instagram)

During his controversial interview with the BBC in May, Harry revealed he “would love reconciliation” with his family. And our expert believes it’s highly likely the Prince now wishes recent events had taken a different course.

“Harry is a sensitive soul and always wore his heart on his sleeve, so whether he’d admit it publicly or not, I’m sure he’s full of regrets and wishes he’d done things differently,” says Duncan. With Trooping the Colour and Father’s Day falling on the same weekend, it was bound to make him look back at the happy relationships he once had with his brother and dad, and I’m sure he’d love to be able to rebuild those.”

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Last month, Harry lost his bid to overturn the decision to deny him and his family state-funded, high level security provided for senior royals while in the UK.

As a result, he said he “couldn’t see a world” in which he would be able to bring Meghan and the children back to his homeland.

Harry said he wanted his own children to feel ‘at home’ in the UK(Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

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Duncan says the death of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, likely weighs heavily on the couple when it comes to their protection, as the absence of official Metropolitan Police protection was a “contributing factor” in the accident that took her life.

But he stresses that whether the couple are “liked” or not is irrelevant to their safety.

The key distinction, he says, is the difference between official royal security and private protection, which could mean the difference between life and death.

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Official royal security gives royals round-the-clock, armed protection from top Met Police officers and allows MI5 to “surround them in a ring” of top-level intelligence.

Duncan says the death of his mother likely features heavily in Harry’s thoughts about his family’s security(Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Given Meghan’s understandable need to protect her children, Duncan suspects it would be very difficult for the family to feel safe without those measures in place.

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“At big royal events, the security you actually see is the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of undercover officers and agents working, too,” he says. “Without the official support and security, Harry and Meghan are left with two or three bodyguards who are pretty blind to what the potential threats are.”