Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Reportedly Pause Search For UK Residence Due To 'Security Issues'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly put a pause on their search for a permanent UK home due to security concerns.

After quitting their role as working members of the royal family in 2020 and relocating to the US, the couple's tax-payer-funded security protection was pulled, leading to the Duke of Sussex going to court to try to get it reinstated.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams recently claimed that Prince Harry regrets his decision to leave the royal family after he and Meghan Markle missed out on this year's Trooping the Colour ceremony.

Harry, in particular, was understood to be keen to secure a home amid reports that he misses his old life and friends and also seeks to reunite with his family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have now suspended their search for a permanent UK residence due to safety concerns for their family as they continue to resolve their security issues with the Home Office.

A source told the Express that the father-of-two "really does want to spend more time in the UK but doesn't feel comfortable doing that until the security issues have been ironed out."

"He and Meghan planned on looking for a part-time home near Windsor this year and hoped that the appeals process would be heard before the end of July so that they could properly start their search. However, the court process seems to be taking its time," the source added.

After being evicted from Frogmore Cottage in 2023, the couple has not had a place to stay, and Harry has checked into hotels on his few trips to the UK.

Like other senior royals, Harry and Meghan received taxpayer-funded security protection when they were working members of the royal family, but the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) downgraded their police protection after they resigned from their duty.

The duke then sued the Home Office in 2020 but was dealt a major blow in February when he lost his bid for his UK security protection to be reinstated as the judge of the London High Court, Sir Peter Lane, ruled that the initial verdict to strip him off it was "legally sound," and also denied him permission to challenge the ruling at a higher court in April.

According to the BBC, Harry enjoyed a small victory after finally winning the right to appeal the court's ruling in June.

Amid the legal battle over their security situation, royal expert Hugo Vickers predicted that Harry would someday return to the UK without his wife.

The couple's relationship with the royal family has fallen apart following several damaging accusations they leveled against them since moving into their Montecito mansion in California.

Vickers, who co-wrote Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent's 2022 memoir "A Royal Life," described Harry as an "angry" person who is "petrified" of losing Meghan but suggested that he'd come back home someday without her.

"I think he'll come home," he told The Sun. "I think he'll come home and if he comes home, we must be very nice to him because he won't particularly want to. He's quite angry, I think."

The royal biographer went on to note that Harry's estranged father, King Charles, will happily welcome him back into the royal fold despite all that has happened in the past.

"Yes, I do," he said, believing Charles would welcome Harry back. "The king has left the door wide open for him to do that and he was doing such a good job before and … he looked so happy."

Vickers added, "Usually, you're happy when you're doing your duty and you're doing it for other people and you're putting things into life. If you're taking things out of life, at the risk of getting a lot of hate mail, I personally think that he looks like he's petrified of losing her [Meghan] and looks slightly petrified of her."

After consecutively missing out on the annual Trooping the Color event, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed that the Duke of Sussex regrets quitting his role as a working royal, especially because of his love for military events.

"The military has been a very important part of his life, and I would have thought it only natural that he would have had a feeling of some regret [not being at Trooping the Colour]," Fitzwilliams told The Sun. "I think Meghan would be indifferent to a ceremony like Trooping the Colour, quite frankly."

"I have no idea whether she would or wouldn't actually watch it, but I don't think it would mean a great deal to her," he continued. "If it had done, she would have managed to carve a position within the Royal Family where she could have been of use."

Fitzwilliams also blamed Harry and Meghan for the way they left the royal family.

"I think when it comes to military matters Harry has always taken an interest," Fitzwilliams noted. "I think that he does unquestionably view the way the break has occurred with the Royal Family. Which, as I say, in my opinion, is the fault of the Sussexes."

He added, "We know they wanted an apology from the Royal Family for the way they were treated when they were senior working members of it."