Where’s Meghan? Kate fills royal family’s diary as her sister-in-law shuns the spotlight, for now

Analysis: It’s been just over a month since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to Britain for an “extended stay” with their children, disturbing the status quo of the royal family and sparking endless speculation about the true motives behind their move.

Four weeks in, however, and Meghan has − surprisingly − been keeping a low profile while her husband Harry gets on with what he does best: that is, supporting charities in his roles as a prince and patron.

There’s been fleeting glimpses of the family’s new lives in the Cotswolds via social media − Meghan’s shared two videos; her Californian friend posted a few snaps − while Harry’s been making it clear how he feels now that he is home.

“It’s been great,” Prince Harry told Canadian network CTV after completing a charity skydive at the weekend.

“It’s been great to be back on British soil. The kids are happy in school and it gives me a chance to be able to really focus on the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July next year.”

He was asked why the family had chosen to return to Britain, six years after starting a new life in the US. Harry said there were “lots of reasons” but did not elaborate.

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Harry and Meghan’s move back to the UK has been marked by tensions with the Windsors and two weeks after their move, King Charles issued a letter reiterating their status as private citizens, setting out guidance on how they should be treated, reportedly leaving team Sussex “surprised”.

If Prince Harry and Meghan were hoping to start a new chapter in Britain, one in which they could combine charity with commercial endeavours − as they did successfully, but not without criticism, in Australia − they have been sorely disappointed.

Their much desired half-in, half-out approach to royal life was swiftly shut down by the monarch, leaving Prince Harry and Meghan without any defined roles. Rather than being known as “private citizens” as Buckingham Palace called them, Harry and Meghan prefer the term “public figures”.

Yet they are public figures without a platform to spruik their own brand of self-promoting royalty, a model they attempted in the US but one which simply does not fly in Britain.

Amidst all the Harry-Meghan chatter, the royal family have kept calm and carried on. After getting through the earlier half of the year when Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, and his past Jeffrey Epstein links, dominated the news cycle the royals have weathered another turbulent month with the return of the Sussexes and the release of Earl Spencer’s book on his sister Diana.

Public sentiment towards the royal family is positive and in the latest YouGov polling, in July, 64 per cent of Britons said the UK should continue to have a monarchy.

Affection for King Charles is up in his fourth year since the accession, with 68 per cent of Britons believing the monarch is doing a good job.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, once again, are the most popular royals with 74 to 76 per cent having a positive view of the couple.

Following their summer break and setting Prince George into high school at Eton College, Prince William and Catherine have thrown themselves back into duty.

Last week, during what was arguably one of the most trying weeks for the royals with wall-to-wall coverage of Earl Spencer’s memoir on the death of his sister, King Charles and his eldest son kept their heads down and got on with the job the public expects them to do.

While the king had just one public engagement, it was William and Catherine who carried the bulk of the work, exemplifying the royal family’s “never complain, never explain” mantra.

The most high-profile, and visually spectacular, event of the week was their star appearance at the premiere of Tom Cruise’s new film, joining the Hollywood actor on the black carpet. Catherine once again showed her talent for curating a show-stopping look with meaning, wearing a vibrant purple gown and heirloom royal jewels.

Days later, the princess led a conversation on addiction for The Forward Trust to mark Addiction Awareness Week, and then she was at Windsor Castle hosting a lunch for children who had recently completed the Three Peaks Challenge.

She had done the challenge herself in June, using the gruelling feat to highlight the benefits of holistic healing after her cancer diagnosis in 2024.

Catherine praised their efforts on Instagram, writing: “Behind every summit was a personal story of resilience, determination and hope”.

“Listening to their experiences of the challenge and their reasons for taking it on was a powerful reminder that recovery is rarely a journey we make alone, and of the importance of the people who walk alongside us along the way,” she said.

There is no love lost between the Wales’ and the Sussexes and while they were once dubbed the ‘Fab Four’ by the media, it’s hard to imagine a time when William, Catherine, Harry and Meghan could ever carry out a joint engagement again.

What is guaranteed, however, is a return to the spotlight in the UK by Meghan at some point.

Though she has been flying under the radar since moving back, prompting many royal watchers online to ask “where’s Meghan?” the duchess will break cover, in public, eventually.

There have been a few sightings of Meghan in the Cotswolds − one at Soho Farmhouse and another at the Three Horseshoes − but to the surprise of many, she has not joined Prince Harry at any of his public engagements.

The Sussexes are waiting to hear whether they will receive taxpayer-funded security in the UK, so that could be the main reason why Meghan has avoided the public. Prince Harry has previously insisted it was unsafe for his wife and children to be in the UK without armed guards.

The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) is reviewing the couple’s security for the first time in six years and will soon determine the level of protection they have in Britain despite being non-working members of the royal family.

For now, it seems the duchess is leaning into the traditional aesthetic she has paraded on Instagram since returning to social media in January 2025 and on her short-lived Netflix series With Love, Meghan.

Her focus is managing the drop off and pick up and settling Archie and Lilibet into their new school and home. And that has not been without its challenges as the children were withdrawn from their original school after just two days, and put into another, following a security scare.

“In the very short term, it’s settling the kids in and settling themselves in,” a source told The Telegraph UK in late August. “Very normal stuff.”

It was Meghan who took charge of the multi-million refurbishment of their homer UK home Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor, before they were eventually evicted by the king soon after the release of Harry’s book Spare.

The duchess hired Vicky Charles, an interior designer who worked with Soho House, to transform the Grade-II five-bedroom property to her and Harry’s tastes which reportedly included a mix of English and Californian touches.

In the years since her exit from royal duties, the duchess has reinvented herself as a lifestyle influencer and has a range of condiments and homewares through her brand As ever, which is continuing from the US in her absence.

Overnight, a post from the brand offered some “hosting notes” from Meghan which suggested those organising a gathering “have as much prepped as possible before guests arrive, then save one simple task for the end”.

“Something you can finish in the kitchen while everyone settles in. A little preparation goes a long way toward making hosting feel effortless.”

It’s not groundbreaking stuff but is clearly keeping Meghan busy while she shuns the spotlight, for now.