Why does everyone say, “Why would they want to come back?” when all reports indicate that they have very high outgoings and no substantial deals or projects on the horizon to meet them? Harry said himself in the Oprah interview that he was forced into making commercial deals in order to pay for security and other overheads. Now they’ve run out of gossip and their content creation wasn’t exactly met with cheers of “more, more!” from Netflix/Spotify, what else can they do to earn the level of income they need to keep the lights on? And their costs are only going to increase with school/uni costs, ringfencing provision/inheritance for their children, etc. I wonder if their advisors must be like Mr Shepherd in Persuasion, telling them that their only option is to retrench.
Coming back (even part time, a few months a year) may not be what M&H want to do, but there’s no doubt that if they returned to the UK they could reduce their housing and security costs substantially. A place somewhere on the Windsor estate would solve both issues. Plus being back in the Royal fold would return some of that shine and glamour that is, ultimately, what many people and companies found attractive in them back in 2020 when they left and were hot property. Of course there will always be the issue of them making their own money and I wonder if they now think they can reattempt a version of “half in, half out” with Charles, who’s much more likely to be swayed than QEII would have been.
There must also be a sense of “now or never”, given KC’s cancer diagnosis, however good his prognosis is. He’s in his mid 70’s already and Harry must know by now that there’s no way he’ll be given any favourable treatment from his brother. It would be much more prudent to return now, when his father is in charge, and agree the most advantageous terms possible, than wait and have the door permanently closed when his brother comes to the throne.
The booing and lack of “respect” now offered to them (eg their seating at that premier in Jamaica) recently must also sting a bit. Even Meghan appearing in this upcoming panel- two, three years ago she would have been expected to be the keynote speaker, not one of four women in a panel discussion. They’re no longer shiny and new and interesting, and for all his “just call me Harry”, the fact that people no longer show him automatic deference must be a difficult adjustment for someone used to it from birth. Even the thing about their latest “date night” down in Texas, previously that would have been towards the top of say the DM’s website, now you would have almost missed it it was so far down the page.
I think it would be possible for them to return in some capacity, but they would need to actually listen to and heed advice, avoid controversy and do the boring drudgery for a few years to accomplish it. I just don’t think they have the capacity or desire to do those things long term.