AFTER six years in California, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly heading back to the UK — and at least one royal commentator thinks the move screams "we need the monarchy" rather than any cosy family reunion.

Kinsey Schofield has labelled the decision an "admission of failure", arguing the couple originally left Britain saying they needed freedom to thrive. In her view, coming back after years of publicly criticising the institution undercuts that message.

Schofield also warned they shouldn’t expect a hero’s welcome on arrival, saying you can’t spend years taking aim at the establishment and then expect the red carpet when life in California doesn’t work out. She added that the pair have become "deeply unpopular" in Britain, and claimed Harry continues to "pick fights" with the government and the British justice system.

One detail she flagged as especially telling: King Charles reportedly only found out about the move on Sunday. Schofield argued that if this were a genuine reconciliation, the King would have been part of the discussions from the start — not looped in after the decision.

While Schofield said Harry has "clearly made progress" with his father, she drew a sharp line between that and Harry’s relationship with Prince William, saying she’s seen nothing to suggest the brothers’ trust issues have been resolved. She also said it was unfair on William, who she argued stayed behind carrying responsibilities Harry "abandoned".

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and relocated to California, where they pursued entertainment deals, launched projects and built an independent life away from the monarchy. Schofield insists their reported return — after what she described as enormous contracts and global name recognition — shows independence didn’t pan out the way they claimed it would.