Meghan Markle has 'hard decision' to make after Prince Harry's shock news
The Duchess of Sussex has 'no excuses' left to stay away from the Duke's hometown
January 04, 2026
Meghan Markle has a tough call to make as Prince Harry’s long-running UK security battle appears to turn in his favour.
With a new government review reassessing the Sussexes’ threat level, speculation is growing that Meghan could soon have “no excuse” to avoid returning to Britain alongside her husband.
Speaking to The Mirror, royal author Duncan Larcombe suggested that if the Duke of Sussex regains police protection, the security argument that has kept Meghan away from the UK for years may no longer hold. “The security issue has essentially been used as an excuse for Meghan not to come to the UK in the last few years,” he said. “But many people think the real reason is to do with the public reaction that she’d receive over here.”
According to Larcombe, reinstated protection would leave the Duchess of Sussex with a tough call to make. “If the protection is put back in place for Harry and Meghan when they’re on UK soil, then there’s really no excuse for her to stay away,” he explained. “So she has to be considering doing a U-turn.”
That potential return, however, would come with uncomfortable consequences. “She’ll come face to face with the British public and members of the family that she’s been at pains to criticise,” Larcombe added. “I don’t think it’s in Meghan’s character to eat humble pie and if she comes to the UK, humble pie is exactly what’s on the menu for her.”
Bookmakers are already predicting when a Sussex visit could happen, with 2026 currently the favourite, although the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027 may offer a less daunting backdrop. Larcombe warned it could be a “PR disaster” if Meghan stayed away while Harry returned with Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4.
Harry has previously said a family visit without security was “impossible,” adding, “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.” Even with protection restored, lingering rifts mean Meghan’s decision remains anything but simple.
