Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are finally bringing their children back to the UK, and at least one member of the royal family reportedly wants to be nowhere near them. According to royal watchers, Queen Camilla is already planning her exit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to travel to Britain in July with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, for the first time in four years, timed to a “One Year To Go” ceremony for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. While King Charles is said to be welcoming the family to Buckingham Palace, the warmth reportedly stops there.
And one royal in particular appears ready to keep her distance.
Why Camilla Is Reportedly Steering Clear
According to a Daily Express columnist, Queen Camilla plans to remain at her private Ray Mill home in Wiltshire while the Sussexes are in Britain. Commentator Carole Malone framed the decision as intentional rather than coincidental. Royal insiders have also long suggested that any meaningful reconciliation between Harry and Prince William remains unlikely.
The tension is hardly a mystery. In Spare, Harry openly criticized his stepmother and revealed that both he and William once asked their father not to marry her. For many observers, those wounds have never fully healed.
Online reaction has been fierce, with many people defending Camilla’s reported decision to stay away.
One person wrote, “The Queen Consort need to sit down already. Her presence is not required neither is Katy and Willy too. The King himself does deserve to see Harry’s family given the fact that he exposed them to danger by Harry’s presence of mind is paramount.“
Another added, “I’m pretty sure Harry is more than fine with that arrangement. That homewrecker has no relation to him or his children, and she psychologically tortured and gaslit his mother for years.“
Others were far less sympathetic to Harry. One commenter bluntly stated, “Good. Doubt they want to see her anyway.” Another wrote, “No one cares who Camilla is dating, even those tabloids that suggest her presence is so revered that no one is politely avoiding a lazy actress here.“
Some believe Harry himself is responsible for the current state of affairs. “All these articles coming out are showing the RF in a very bad light. Do they honestly think this makes them look good?” one user wrote. “Harry may have wanted the RF for 5 years. Since IG is in the UK, Meghan would probably only invite them to support Harry and the veteran family.“
Others questioned why Archie and Lilibet are being brought into the ongoing royal drama at all. “Why would Harry want to see her? Introduce the king’s grandchildren to her?” one commenter asked, while another responded, “That’s exactly what they say she will be doing. They’ll be avoiding the invalid old man too.“
Adding even more intrigue is speculation that Harry and Meghan could stay at Althorp House, Princess Diana’s ancestral home, rather than on royal property. That possibility has fueled further discussion about where Harry’s loyalties ultimately lie.
Whether the July visit marks a small step toward reconciliation or simply another chapter in the family’s long-running cold war, one thing is clear: royal fans remain deeply divided. As one commenter summed it up, “With her ex-husband, children and grandchildren. Oh happy days.“
All eyes will now be on who shows up—and who very deliberately stays away.
