A huge row has erupted after a guest on the Jeremy Vine show urged Prince Harry to return to frontline royal duties. Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, also known as the Black Farmer, said he would “love” to see the Duke of Sussex come back “to the fold”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, quitting life in the UK for California in the US.
Since then, the pair have released explosive claims against the Royal Family, in their Oprah interview, Netflix documentary and Harry’s memoir Spare.
King Charles’s cancer diagnosis and Princess Kate’s recovery from abdominal surgery has prompted wider discussion on who will stand in for the senior royals during their recovery.
Speaking on the Channel 5 show on Wednesday, Mr Emmanuel-Jones said: “I would love to see Harry doing royal duties. He had a connection, like his mother did, with the real people.”
He added that the main problem to overcome for this to happen would be making Meghan feel “comfortable” in returning.
However, viewers were less than enthusiastic about seeing the pair return to royal duties.
One viewer wrote on X: “We’re not interested in any sob stories about the Montecito moaners.”
Another said: “Harry can’t just decide to come back into the Firm. There is nothing to stop him from being there for his family.”
Meanwhile a third fumed: “Meghan will not come back to this family. Ever.”
The King flew to his Norfolk residence, Sandringham, on Tuesday following a reunion with Harry at a ‘brief’ meeting in London said to last around 45 minutes. Harry had rushed to LAX upon being told the news from Charles personally.
But there was no meeting between the estranged siblings William and Harry, who have had a fractured relationship for a number of years, exacerbated after the Sussexes stepped down as working royals, moved to America and aired a string of grievances against the royal family.
William may step in to represent his father at an event, but no engagements are scheduled at the moment and the royal palaces will make arrangements if the need arises.
Kate left hospital last Monday and returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to be reunited with her three children, but the 42-year-old future queen is not expected to return to official duties until after Easter.
