Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could bring Archie and Lilibet to the UK for Christmas

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are considering taking their children to the UK for Christmas, a royal expert has claimed.  

Speaking to Closer, royal author Katie Nicholl said it is being ‘looked at as an opportunity’ that could ‘pave the way for a healing of the family rift’. 

The last time the couple spent Christmas in the UK was in 2018, seven months after their wedding, and Harry has only returned twice since stepping down as a senior royal in March 2020. Meghan has not been back to the UK since then.

The visit would mark three-month-old Lilibet Diana‘s first time in the UK and would give the Queen a chance to meet her great-granddaughter. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are considering taking their children to the UK for Christmas, a royal expert has claimed. The last time the couple spent Christmas in the UK was in 2018. Pictured, the Sussexes and the Cambridges with Charles on Christmas day that year

The royal family have not seen Archie since winter 2020, when his parents relocated to Canada before officially leaving the UK. 

Nicholl said: ‘When Harry and Meghan left, they made it clear they didn’t want to give up their home in Britain. They still have Frogmore Cottage and their plan was to come back to the UK. 

‘Christmas is being looked at as an opportunity. There may be a softening, which could pave the way for a healing of the family rift. 

‘It’s certainly what the Queen wants. Prince Charles would like to see his grandchildren. A meet-up suggests they hope to move on and sort things out.’ 

Bringing their children with them could help soften the rocky relationship the couple are rumoured to have with other members of the royal family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, both 39. 

Royal author Katie Nicholl said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured, could return to the UK with their children this Christmas 

The brothers have only been reunited twice since Harry’s decision to leave: once at the funeral of the late Duke of Edinburgh in April, and a second time to unveil a statue of their mother the late Princess Diana on July 1. 

Both visits were short, with Harry only staying long enough to respect a quarantine and attend each specific event before returning to his new home in California.     

Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan are set to make their first public trip since moving to California to broadcast from Central Park for Global Citizen Live event.

In May, the Duke, 37, and Duchess of Sussex, 40, acted as Campaign Chairs of Vax Live, which ‘aims to inspire vaccine confidence worldwide and help get the COVID-19 vaccines to everyone, everywhere’ – according to Global Citizen.

And according to the organisation’s website, the couple will attend the event in New York on Saturday where they will ‘continue their urgent work with world leaders in the pursuit of global vaccine equity to end the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone, everywhere.’

 It marks the first occasion the couple have appeared in public together since stepping back from royal duty and moving to California last year.

The Duke of Sussex returned to the UK on July 1 to unveil a new statue of his mother the late Princess Diana in Kensington Palace, with his brother Prince William, pictured

The event will be part of a number of shows being held in cities as varied as London to Lagos by the organisation Global Citizen, with artists like Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Metallica and Coldplay scheduled to perform.

The Global Citizen Live campaign is calling on G7 countries and the European Union to share at least one billion Covid-19 vaccine doses with those most in need and support calls for a waiver on vaccine intellectual property rights.

It also marks the return to work for the Duke and Duchess, who have taken several months off following the birth of their daughter Lilibet in May.

Meghan has previously made several high profile trips to New York to visit friends in recent years.

The Duchess celebrated the impending birth of her firstborn son Archie by flying to the Big Apple by private jet in 2019, provoking outcry with the five-day baby shower celebration. Around 20 friends attended, including Serena Williams and Amal Clooney.

Months later, she visited the state again for a flying trip away to support her close friend Serena Williams in the US Open final.