The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will need to work with – and possibly defer to – Buckingham Palace when they move back to the UK later this month after years of frosty relations, royal insiders said.
Although the couple will remain private individuals undertaking commercial and charity activities, the media attention they attract will risk distracting from Royal Family duties.
While visiting a charity in Los Angeles may go largely unnoticed, there will be far more media attention when they carry out visits in the UK, especially if one of the working Royal Family is doing something similar and possibly trying to communicate a different message, sources said.
Harry and Meghan’s explosive homecoming will add a new complexity to the official work of the monarchy, and the Prince and Princess of Wales – whose rift with the Sussexes has not healed – are also likely to have to coordinate with the couple despite the potential antipathy.
Those close to William and Kate have so far suggested they will just carry on as normal and ignore the distraction. But after previous disruptions to their agenda caused by diary clashes with Harry and Meghan, they may need to think again.
