The Queen Reportedly Invites Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Balmoral As An “Olive Branch”

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 24 July 2022

Back in April, during a quick visit from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their way to The Netherlands for the Invictus Games, Her Majesty invited the couple and their children, Archie and Lili, to the U.K. in early June to celebrate her milestone Platinum Jubilee with her. It’s an invitation the Duke and Duchess of Sussex accepted—but, as Marie Claire reported, the visit apparently didn’t go as well as they expected.

But, in terms of continually mending familial relations, the Queen seems to have offered another chance at it, as multiple outlets report that she has invited the Sussexes to her beloved summer retreat in Scotland, Balmoral, as an olive branch.

“The Sussexes spent little time with the monarch during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year, during which they finally introduced their daughter Lilibet to her great-grandmother,” The Mirror reports. “Ahead of Her Majesty’s summer break in the Scottish Highlands, staff have been warned to expect the U.S.-based couple, as well as their two children.”

A source told The Sun that “staff have been told to expect the full list of royals, including Harry, Meghan, and their children Archie and Lilibet. They are preparing for the Sussexes. Balmoral is the perfect place for them to spend a little bit of quality time with the Queen.”

Her Majesty arrived at Balmoral late last week and, The Sun reports, is set to stay for 10 weeks in the seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge on the property. Family frequently visits the Queen at Balmoral during her summer break there—Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis visited last year. Of the retreat, the Queen’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie has said “it’s the most beautiful place on earth. I think Granny is the most happy there.”

No word from the Sussexes as to whether they will visit, but a source told The Sun “I would be stunned if they did turn up.”

We, for our part, remain hopeful.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.