Prince Harry himself has been outspoken about missing his life in the U.K., where he was born and raised and lived until he and wife Meghan Markle relocated to the U.S. in 2020, six years ago.
Harry said in a revealing BBC interview last May that he missed the “family gatherings when we’re all sort of brought together under one roof for certain times of the year. That I miss,” possibly referring to the royal family’s traditional Christmas celebrations at Sandringham. He also added, “I miss my friends. I’ve lost a few friends in this process,” no doubt referring to leaving royal life for Montecito, California.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the One805LIVE! 2025 concert.
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“Does it pain Harry to be pointedly excluded from times when the royal family gets together, like Christmas at Sandringham?” royal biographer Christopher Andersen told Us Weekly for its new cover story. “Of course it does.”
A possible solution? Splitting his time between the life he’s built in the U.S. and the life he knows so well in the U.K. Andersen said that “Harry has always said the door remains open to some sort of relationship with the royal family. Meghan’s focused on their life in Montecito, but he’s holding out hope that he can eventually divide his time between California and the U.K.”
Prince Harry on September 10, 2025.
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Andersen told the outlet of the Duke of Sussex that “On one level, Harry is content in California,” but added that on another, he surely has regrets that “neither he nor his children [Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet] are sharing in their royal heritage.”
Speaking to the BBC, Harry said, “The things that [my kids are] going to miss is, well, everything.” He added, “I love my country, I always have,” and continued, “I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland,” citing a need for increased security in order to bring his kids and Meghan back to the U.K.
Prince Harry, Prince Archie, Meghan Markle, and Princess Lilibet at Disneyland.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex/Instagram
While “A few old pals have dropped off,” Andersen said of Harry’s friend circle, “several remain in touch, and Harry is immensely grateful for their loyalty.” A source speaking to Us Weekly said that the often-strained relationship between Harry and his father King Charles is “going in a good direction” after father and son last saw one another face-to-face in September in a meeting that seemed to go well.
Prince Charles and Prince Harry on April 4, 2019.
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Andersen added that Harry “wants Archie and Lilibet to get to know their British relatives, especially their grandfather,” referring to the King. He reportedly also wants his kids to get to know “their cousins, but he can’t make that happen unilaterally.”
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“They’re learning about Britain in small doses,” Andersen said. “But make no mistake, they’re growing up Californians.”