3 min read
Impact x Nightline, a weekly news magazine from ABC News, returns tomorrow with a deep dive into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s move back to the UK, Town & Country can exclusively reveal.
Per the logline, the episode is set to “unpack Harry and Meghan’s public falling-out with the royal family and the potential ramifications of their return. With the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death approaching, will the tension within palace walls give way to a royal reconciliation, or will the divide between the rival courts only grow wider?”
Impact x Nightline
A promotional image for The Return of the Prince.
The episode features interviews with T&C’s Victoria Murphy, an ABC News royal contributor; Farzana Baduel, communications strategist and co-host of BBC Radio 4’s When It Hits the Fan; Afua Hagan, journalist and royal commentator; Robert Jobson, ABC News royal contributor and author of The Windsor Legacy; T&C Contributor Elizabeth Holmes, author of HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style; Omid Scobie, the author of Finding Freedom; Alastair Bruce, ABC News royalty consultant and officer of arms to the king; Erin Hill, senior editor at People; Kinsey Schofield, royal podcaster; and Maggie Rulli, ABC News foreign correspondent.
Prince Harry and Meghan moved back to the UK in late August after six years of living in the United States. A representative for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously described their move as short-term to the New York Times. “On the heels of a wonderful trip with family and friends this summer, Harry and Meghan have decided to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn,” the rep said in a statement. “They are excited to have their children spend more time in the country that’s such an important part of their family’s story.”
Prince Harry has carried out a number of engagements since returning to the UK, but Meghan has yet to appear in public. In addition, The Return of the Prince comes days after the release of Princess Diana’s brother’s memoir, Swan Song; Prince Harry has not commented on the book, but Meghan’s As Ever brand has been using the “swan” emoji in various posts on social media.
Karwai Tang//Getty Images
Prince Harry attends the Invictus Games Foundation’s inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s move home has not been without drama; last week, they switched their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s school over security concerns. “The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements,” a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said in a statement. The Sussexes remain “extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family. This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there.”
Unrelated to their school switch, the Sussexes will now receive a new security review, the Telegraph reported last week, from the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), part of the UK’s Home Office that determines who receives taxpayer-funded police protection.
Last year, Harry lost a legal appeal against the Home Office when his automatic security was withdrawn. “The UK is my home,” he said in his witness statement. “The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the U.S. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil. I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.” It’s unclear whether his security changed before the Sussexes decided move back to the UK.
Harry & Meghan: The Return of the Prince will stream tomorrow, Thursday, September 24 on Disney+ and Hulu.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.