The British Sussex squad: The allies set to rally round Harry and Meghan as they return to UK
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As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prepare to relocate to Britain after six years based in Montecito, California, attention has turned to which figures from their past social circles may re-emerge to support them. The couple's children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, are due to start school in September, and while King Charles is said to welcome more time with his grandchildren, relations with much of the wider royal family and some former friends remain strained, with Harry notably not on speaking terms with Prince William and Kate.
Among those tipped to rally round are longstanding friends of Harry's, including the Duke of Westminster, Charles and Thomas van Straubenzee, and mentor Mark Dyer, a former Welsh Guards officer. Meghan is said to retain her own pre-Harry UK contacts, such as PR adviser Isabel May and Soho House's Markus Anderson, while Princess Eugenie, a friend of Meghan's before she met Harry, is expected to stay close but largely out of the public eye, according to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, who suggested the Sussexes would avoid being seen too publicly with Eugenie and Beatrice given their parents' controversies.
- Harry and Meghan are moving from Montecito back to the UK
- Old friends including Mark Dyer and the Duke of Westminster may support them
- Princess Eugenie likely to stay close but meet them privately
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Prince Harry and Meghan, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and have lived in Montecito, California, are reportedly planning to move back to Britain with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. The children are due to start school there in September, which has prompted speculation about who from the couple's old social circles might reconnect with them once they are settled in the UK.
Since leaving royal life, the couple's ties with parts of the royal family have been strained, particularly with Prince William and Kate, though King Charles is said to be keen to see more of his grandchildren. Against this backdrop, commentators have been considering which longstanding friends, from each side of the couple's pre-marriage lives in Britain, might offer them support and a social network as they resettle.
The story matters because it touches on how the Sussexes might reintegrate into British life and rebuild relationships after several years abroad, at a time when the wider state of their family relationships remains closely watched.
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