Prince Harry should be invited to return to his royal duties while King Charles III and Kate Middleton take time out on health grounds, according to a new poll for Newsweek.
Charles and Kate have both dropped frontline duties after the king was diagnosed with cancer and as the Princess of Wales recovers from abdominal surgery.
Prince William has also reduced his workload of public engagements, leaving Queen Camilla carrying the torch, assisted by Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Some in Britain have, as a result, been debating whether this could be the moment for Prince Harry to make a comeback to front line royal duties.
Redfield & Wilton, on behalf of Newsweek, asked a representative sample of 1,500 U.S. adults: "Should Prince Harry be invited to return to his royal duties while King Charles and Kate Middleton recover from their respective health issues?"
Survey data collected on February 18 and 19 showed 39 percent said he should be, compared to 27 percent who said he should not, while 34 percent said they didn't know.
Harry and Meghan quit the palace in 2020, but lobbied internally for a half in, half out system in which they would live abroad, but continue to perform some royal duties.
The prince said in his book Spare that this option was discussed during a showdown with his family at Sandringham, but he felt pushed into a "full severance, no royal role, no working for Granny," referred to in talks as "Option 5."
"I'd consulted with several Palace veterans, people who knew the inner workings of the monarchy and its history and they all said Option 3 was best for all parties," he wrote.
"Meg and I living elsewhere part of the year, continuing our work, retaining security, returning to Britain for charities, ceremonies, events. Sensible solution, these palace veterans said. And eminently doable.
"But the family, of course, pushed me to take Option 1. Barring that, they would
only accept Option 5."
Any return by Harry would likely trigger significant opposition from Prince William, who is understood to be angry over the prince's revelations in his book.
Among them, Harry described William's "alarming baldness," divulged an argument they had over Meghan suggesting Kate had "baby brain" before their wedding, a dispute over bridesmaids dresses and a physical fight between the brothers during an argument about Meghan.
Robert Hardman, who was given significant access to Charles' monarchy for his book, The Making of a King, told Newsweek in January: "Charles would love to have him back in the fold, not being royal again—I think that ship has sailed, and I'm sure Harry would not want to do that."
Meanwhile, Meghan has experienced a popularity slump in America after polling for Newsweek showed her net approval rating has dropped 14 points from plus 15 in December to plus one in February.
The dip leaves her some way behind Prince Harry (plus 26), Prince William (plus 31) and Kate Middleton (plus 35).
Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
