Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are making a symbolic “full-circle” move with their upcoming trip to Nottingham on Thursday (15 October). Nine years after their first-ever joint outing, the couple are returning to the very city where they launched their royal careers as a newly engaged couple. I was a student at the University of Nottingham at the time, and I still remember the electric feeling in the air as people rushed to Lace Market to catch a glimpse of the Sussexes, not to mention Meghan’s diamond ring. There’s no denying that Nottingham holds sentimental and historical value for the Sussexes, so the idea of them revisiting a city with so many fond memories isn’t that surprising. If anything, it must feel like a safe space to them.
What is surprising, however, is the fact that they’ve chosen it as the setting for their first official outing in the UK since moving to the Cotswolds in August. Given that it served as the backdrop for their milestone royal engagement in 2017, it feels like the couple are cultivating a very specific and deliberate narrative here.
It’s almost a way of saying, after all that’s happened, we’re going back to the start and wiping the slate clean, like we never left the Royal Family in the first place. Forget the scathing tell-all interviews and memoirs; we don’t need to address it; we’re simply ignoring it – we’re ready to be royals again, so we’ve turned back the clock.
Now, I’m someone who would rather see Harry and Meghan reconciled with King Charles and Queen Camilla. The royal feud has gone on long enough, and it’s sad to see any family torn apart, especially when it impacts the relationship between a grandparent and their grandchildren. What I don’t agree with, however, is the notion that Meghan and Harry can simply come back and take part in a royal-style engagement after telling the world they didn’t want to be royals in the first place.
At this point, Meghan and Harry have become walking contradictions. One minute they’re done with the UK, and the next they’re back. One minute they want privacy, the next they’re “public citizens”.
One minute they’re asking for taxpayer-funded protection, and the next Meghan is posting easily identifiable photos of her favourite spots in the Cotswolds. Talk about mixed signals.
If the Sussexes are really hoping to make a royal return, however, they’re in for a shock. Right now, the idea that they could make a complete U-turn and come back is impossible, and it would be a horrendous look for the King, too.
Just weeks ago, Charles declared that the couple were “private citizens”, and he’s got to stick to his guns, or he’ll lose a lot of public respect. Considering that Meghan and Harry remain unpopular in the UK, any sign that the monarch had welcomed them back into the fold would surely spark huge backlash, too.
And, there’s the matter of Prince William and Princess Kate. As far as anyone knows, the Waleses and Sussexes remain estranged to this day. Allowing Meghan and Harry to resume royal duties would effectively split the family in half. I wouldn’t be surprised if the two couples avoided each other at all costs during major public events.
Basically, the damage they’ve done to the Royal Family is irreparable. On a personal note, it may be forgiven by King Charles – time is a great healer – but it simply cannot be forgotten. Unless the Sussexes can win back public trust and establish a somewhat civil relationship with the Waleses, they won’t be able to resume their duties as working royals.
So, if this trip to Nottingham is a thinly veiled PR stunt to suggest that they’re ready to go back to business as usual, they might as well make another U-turn. The public aren’t stupid about the optics of their trip, and frankly, no one’s buying what they’re selling.
