The Real Reason Royal Experts Think Prince Harry Could Be Returning To Royal Duties

After speculation from royal observers and fans, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to let go of their royal duties in January 2020. The couple made a transatlantic move to the United States and have since started a new life with their two children in California. The duo has also kept themselves busy with work — they signed multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify to produce children's content, informative docuseries, and podcasts.

With the Sussexes gone, Prince William and Kate Middleton were seen taking charge on most royal fronts. Queen Elizabeth has always been busy, too, but in October she spent a night in King Edward VII's hospital and underwent medical tests. The doctors advised her to rest for at least two weeks. An official statement followed, saying that the queen now seemed to be in "good spirits" and returned to Windsor Castle, per BBC. Far away in California, word had spread that the Duke of Sussex was in "panic" mode following reports of the queen's admission to the hospital. "He felt helpless being 5,000 miles away in Montecito, [California,] and has been checking-in non-stop with her," an insider told Us Weekly.

Harry's distance from his royal duties means that he may not have much else to do in his position other than worry about his grandmother. But is there room for a possible intervention? Some royal experts believe that he could be returning to his royal duties. 

Following the queen's medical advisory and a potential reduction in her workload, questions remain on who will take over her royal duties as she recovers and feels better. While delegation duties fall on her shoulders — something she might not yet decide to give up — her more routine engagements could be taken care of by the family's other younger royals who could step in as "counsellors of state" — the next four people over age 21 in the line of succession. According to the royal family's website, four names emerge: Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince William, and Prince Harry.

Despite Harry stepping down from his royal duties, he is still legally in the line of succession. Unlike Harry, William and Charles already have roles and responsibilities. On the other hand, Andrew's involvement with the crown has been suspended indefinitely over allegations of sexual misconduct and at least one likely upcoming trial. But even if Harry returns, there's only so much he can do as a counselor of state. "Obviously, as the Queen gets older, more duties will be devolved upon other members of the Royal Family," Prof Vernon Bogdanor, a British constitution expert, told The Guardian. "The other royals can do anything except the constitutional functions, such as audiences with the prime minister and signing acts of parliament." The way things are going, we may end up seeing more of Harry in Great Britain after all. 

Whether Prince Harry returns to any of his royal duties remains to be seen. Still, the reason why the Duke of Sussex left his royal duties in the first place is something he and Meghan Markle cannot easily forget. In the CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, Harry was clear about how he and Meghan were treated in the U.K.

One of the things that Harry worried about was his and his family's relationship with the press. "For the [royal] family, they very much have this mentality of, 'This is just how it is. This is how it's meant to be, you can't change it. We've all been through it,'" he said (per CBS). Harry also spoke about the "race element" that Meghan was forced to face and negatively impacted her mental health. Harry said that Meghan's suicidal thoughts were "clear and real and frightening." Additionally, Harry alleged that his wife's mental health was "not a conversation to be had."

During the interview, Meghan also expressed concerns about being "silenced" by the royal family, something which drew comparisons to Harry's mother, Princess Diana. "I didn't know who to even turn to in that," Meghan said. "And one of the people that I reached out to, who has continued to be a friend and confidant, was... one of Diana's best friends. Because it's like, who else could understand what it's actually like on the inside." Clearly, there are still some hard conversations to be had before things can return to normal between Harry and his family.