meghan-markle-prince-harry-never-returning-to-england
WINDSOR, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex arrive on the long Walk at Windsor Castle arrive to view flowers and tributes to HM Queen Elizabeth on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle haven’t lived in the UK since they traded Frogmore cottage for their Montecito mansion in 2020, only returning briefly for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. Still, there’s always been quiet speculation that the duo could reunite with the royals at some point. In a new interview, though, Prince Harry has revealed that he won’t be bringing Meghan back to the UK over fears surrounding her safety.

Sitting down with British journalist Rebecca Barry for the ITV documentary, Tabloids on Trial, Prince Harry opened up about the High Court’s recent ruling that he was hacked and had his private information acquired by Mirror Group Newspapers.

With the trial gripping the country and plenty of negative press surrounding the couple, the royal said to Barry that he “won’t bring my wife back to this country” over “genuine concerns” that the family could be targeted.

“All it takes is for one lone actor who reads this stuff to act on what they’ve read,” he explained. “And whether it’s a knife or acid, these are things that are genuine concerns for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 10: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018 in London, England.  (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

He also confirmed that his ardent pursuit of British tabloids formed a “central piece” of the rift between him and his family.

“It’s a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press,” he told the outlet. “I’ve made it very clear this is something that needs to be done, and it’d be nice if we did it as a family. From a service standpoint, in a public role, I believe this should be done for the greater good.”

“For me, the mission continues,” he added. “But it has caused, as you say, part of a rift.”

Despite the strain it has put on his family dynamics, Prince Harry called the court verdict a “monumental victory” and expressed that he felt “vindicated” over what had, at once, felt like paranoia about his life being in the spotlight. The 39-year-old drew comparisons with his late mother, Princess Diana, and her experience with the media.

“There is evidence to suggest she was being hacked in the mid-90s, probably one of the first people to be hacked. And yet, still today, the tabloid press very much enjoy painting her as being paranoid,” he said. “But she wasn’t paranoid, she was absolutely right [about] what was happening to her, and she’s not around today to find out the truth.”