Reports surfaced last year that the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, had been suffering from homesickness ever since he and his wife Meghan Markle left England for Southern California. A royal expert revealed that Harry wanted to spend more time in the UK—something that Markle found challenging. Entertainment expert- Mark Boardman, detailed the couple’s frustration in an interview with the New York Post.

He explained, “He appears to have distanced himself from his college [meaning the last two years of high school] friends and lacks a permanent U.K. residence. During his visits to London, he typically resides in hotels and avoids public appearances. Undoubtedly, Prince Harry longs for his old friendships.” According to him, the former Suits actor found the prince’s desire to return to London ‘frustrating’ and was unhappy about it. Boardman said, “Meghan is frustrated that Harry wants his old life back.”

He added, “Meghan loves Harry, but she wants to bring out the better side in him. And she’s quite clear on the roles that they should take and they are trying to work better together on projects. People are eager to witness a transformed Harry, rather than a return to his previous partying lifestyle, which could lead to undesirable media attention.” 

Naturally, Harry doesn’t have the same strong support structure in the US as he spent much of his childhood in the UK. Boardman highlighted, “London is where all of Harry’s real friends are. But, Meghan wants Harry to be by her side to support her, to look after the kids, and to get his life back on track. And anything going backward is going to take away from that.”

Boardman reasoned the exiled prince would have a tough time persuading his wife that “he needs a bit of a boy” weekend in London meeting up with old Eton buddies. Boardman attributed Harry’s incessant desire to come home to his “strong relationships with childhood friends.” 

He said, “He’s young at heart but he’s got someone to keep him in check and remind him who he is and what he’s supposed to be doing. Ultimately, he would 100% love a London base and he’d love it to be on royal grounds, even if it was in Windsor or one of the apartments in Buckingham Palace. But it’s not going to happen.”

After meeting in 2016, Harry and Meghan tied the knot in 2018. In January 2020, they expressed their desire to stand down as senior royals. Even now, Harry stands the fifth in line for the crown. The pair is however no longer addressed as His or Her Royal Highness, although they have retained the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Additionally, Harry had to renounce his military rank and title. 

The couple’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, became royals upon Harry’s father King Charles’s coronation. As per BBC, by June 2020, Harry and Meghan had made their way to California, claiming they needed more room to raise their son Archie. A formal UK abode is no longer held by the couple. They were summoned to leave the Windsor estate’s Grade-II listed Frogmore Cottage at the beginning of 2023.

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