The egos have landed.<\/p>\n
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have touched down in the UK<\/a>, 5,000 miles from the Montecito sun, to face a cooler British reception.<\/p>\n And the rumor mill is at fever pitch. Will they set up their own court in the celebrity rural enclave of the Cotswolds? Is (long-resting) actress Meghan eyeing a return to the small screen<\/a>? Will Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet<\/a> have a proper reunion with at least one of their grandfathers?<\/p>\n Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.<\/p>\n Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have touched down in the UK, 5,000 miles from the Montecito sun, to face a cooler British reception \u2014\u00a0but it would be smart to offer Harry a chance at redemption. The David Foster Foundation via Getty Images<\/p>\n Yet no spin can save this. The Megxit U-turn, no doubt rooted in fading US interest, represents a major loss of face for the couple \u2014\u00a0and comes on the back of flopped deals,<\/a> unsold jam<\/a> and relegation to Row 8<\/a> during a Knicks playoff game.<\/p>\n As the wanderers return, it would be all too easy to join the pile-on \u2014 but here\u2019s why I won\u2019t.<\/p>\n Bear with me.<\/p>\n The Sussexes could both fill a charisma void and serve as a jolt to the current dull and depleted complacency. Getty Images<\/p>\n While no one in England should be rushing to roll out the red carpet for the pair, a flat-out rejection and refusal to forgive \u2014 even for the most ardent royalist \u2014 misses the bigger picture.<\/p>\n For all the rows and recriminations, mudslinging and point-scoring the monarchy needs Harry and Meghan \u2014both to fill a charisma void and as a jolt to the current dull and depleted complacency.<\/p>\n The British monarchy is not in good shape following major scandal and growing anti-royal sentiment. It took far too longer to ditch Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, whose friendship with the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein has caused untold reputational damage to the brand.<\/p>\n In King Charles, we have a committed but ailing monarch doing the heavy lifting while supported by his dull and dutiful siblings. Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate Middleton are still struggling to shake off their work-shy reputations.<\/p>\n In King Charles \u2014\u00a0seen here with sons Harry and William in 2014 \u2014\u00a0the UK has a committed but ailing monarch doing the heavy lifting while supported by his dull and dutiful siblings, Anne and Edward. Getty Images<\/p>\n In fact, William has all too often made royal life seem like something to be tolerated: a part-time gig to fit around family life and holidays, which overlooks the unavoidable fact he will king in the not too distant future.<\/p>\n Yes, Harry and Meghan squandered the popularity and goodwill they initially generated as a couple. But for Harry at least, it can and should be clawed back.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard for us Brits, because his betrayal feels raw. Etched in the nation\u2019s psyche is the duke as a forlorn 12-year-old walking behind his mother Diana\u2019s coffin in 1997. It\u2019s personal. We\u2019re invested in him and memories of his redeeming features still linger.<\/p>\n From the outset, whether it was petty squabbles over bridesmaid tights or borrowed lip gloss, Harry and Meghan\u2019s fall-out with Prince William and Kate Middleton (seen above in 2017) always smacked of a power struggle and tit-for-tat oneupmanship. Karen Murdoch<\/p>\n I believe there is still hope for his redemption.<\/p>\n Blessed with Diana\u2019s people skills, warmth and common touch, Harry is, in fact, better equipped than most to win back the hearts of a disappointed public.<\/p>\n His military career, success with the Invictus games and recent work with landmine clearance charity The HALO Trust, which builds on his mother\u2019s legacy, suggest there is a more meaningful role for him to carve out in royal public life. That was all wasted as Meghan\u2019s plus-one in Hollywood \u2014 as Harry was reduced to cameos on her Netflix lifestyle show or partying at Kris Jenner\u2019s 70th birthday<\/a>.<\/p>\n