Prince Harry believed royal family could have allowed a ‘hybrid’ role: author
Simon Vigar, author of “The Four Wives of Windsor,” explains why Prince Harry expected a half-in, half-out role and what led to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s exit from royal duties.
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One royal author believes Prince Harry’s controversial “half-in, half-out” proposal may still have a future within the monarchy.
Simon Vigar, author of “The Four Wives of Windsor,” told Fox News Digital that while Buckingham Palace quickly rejected the proposal in 2020, he believes a similar model is ultimately inevitable.
“Harry did think that there was a hybrid version that they could do,” said Vigar. “And I think in years to come, there will be a hybrid version. I think he’s right. There has to be a hybrid version of this where people don’t get accused of cashing in but can support their cousins or their brother or whatever.”
PRINCE HARRY LONGS FOR HIS OLD ROYAL LIFE AS AMERICA ISN’T WHAT HE EXPECTED, EXPERTS SAY
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are seen greeting members of the public at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia on April 17, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were on a four-day visit to Australia, with engagements across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.(Cameron Spencer/
“[The Sussexes] thought they could have a hybrid role of having a business life and a private life, while also spending a few months in the U.K. supporting the queen,” he shared. “Harry believed that was an option, which was whipped away from him.”
In 2020, Harry attended the Sandringham Summit at Queen Elizabeth II’s Norfolk estate, where senior royals decided the terms of his and Meghan’s departure from royal life.
A view of Sandringham House, Queen Elizabeth II’s Sandringham estate, in Norfolk, England.(Radcliffe/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
According to People magazine, it was there that the late queen drew a firm line. After intense discussions, the answer was made clear to Harry: There would be no “half-in, half-out” role for the Sussexes. They couldn’t be working royals while also pursuing independent, income-generating ventures.
That year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals, citing intrusive coverage by the British press and a lack of support from the palace.
In the couple’s Netflix series, “Harry & Meghan,” the prince said the decision to step down was his.
Simon Vigar’s “The Four Wives of Windsor” is available now. Vigar is one of British television’s longest-serving royal correspondents.(Penguin)
“In fact, it was my decision,” he said. “She never asked to leave. I was the one that had to see it for myself. But it’s misogyny at its best.”
Office workers in London watch the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s “Harry & Meghan” docuseries on Netflix on Dec. 8, 2022.(Jonathan Brady/PA Images
In a statement, the queen publicly confirmed the decision, making it clear that it was “not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.” The Sussexes responded with a statement of their own: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
In the Netflix docuseries, Harry claimed that William “screamed and shouted” at him during the “Sandringham Summit.”
Prince William (pictured here) did not meet with his estranged younger brother, Prince Harry, who spent time with their father King Charles III at Highgrove House, the monarch’s private residence, on July 10, 2026.(Chris Jackson/
“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,” he said.
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Prince Harry (left) and Prince William (right) attend the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana, at The Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, London on July 1, 2021, which would have been her 60th birthday. Royal experts told Fox News Digital the last time the brothers spoke was in 2022 during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.(Dominic Lipinski/POOL/AFP
In “Spare,” Harry wrote that he arrived at Sandringham with the impression that the family would consider five options for the Sussexes. “Option Five” was a full departure. After an hour, the queen’s private secretary, nicknamed by Harry “The Bee,” distributed drafts of a statement announcing “Option Five.” Harry said he was stunned.
“Wait. I’m confused,” he wrote. “You’ve already drafted a statement? Before any discussion? Announcing Option Five? In other words, the fix was in this whole time? This summit was just for show?”
Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, looks on as Britain’s King Charles III leaves Westminster Abbey after the coronation ceremonies in central London on May 6, 2023. He was sitting a few rows away from his family.(Ben Stansall/POOL/AFP
Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital he believes the palace made a mistake by not considering the option.
Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry watch a flypast marking the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England, on July 10, 2018.(Max Mumby/Indigo/
“The half-in, half-out approach advocated by Harry and Meghan is the modern-day method of how royal families should operate,” he said. “The late queen was extremely badly advised not to accept the formula laid out by Harry as he attempted to protect Meghan from the ravages of sustained attacks.”
But not everyone agrees. Several royal experts told Fox News Digital that while Harry may eventually have a better personal relationship with his family, a return as a working royal — especially under a “half-in, half-out” model — is highly unlikely.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex depart Canada House in London, on Jan. 7, 2020.(Chris Jackson/
“There’s always room for Harry to support his family privately as a son and brother,” Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered,” told Fox News Digital. “That’s very different from supporting the monarchy publicly as a working royal. The monarchy has successfully adapted to a smaller working team.”
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Prince William, Prince of Wales, known as the Duke of Rothesay and Catherine, Princess of Wales, known as the Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, smile to well-wishers as they arrive for a visit to Aros Hall, a local community hub on April 29, 2025, in Tobermory, Scotland.(Chris Jackson/
“We continue to see King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke of Gloucester carrying out official duties,” she pointed out. “While it’s a leaner operation, it has demonstrated that it can function without reopening the constitutional questions raised in 2020.”
After moving to California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harry’s 2023 memoir, “Spare,” further strained his relationship with his family.
Prince Harry’s book “Spare” is displayed in a bookstore on Dec. 16, 2023, in Bath, England.(Matt Cardy/
On July 10, Charles hosted Harry and met with his family for the first time in years as they attempted to repair their rift. At Highgrove House, Charles’ country estate, Harry and Meghan, along with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, reunited with the king and Queen Camilla.
A photo of Highgrove House, King Charles III’s country estate.(Neil Bennett/Mirrorpix/
Harry had arrived in the U.K. for several charity events that were overshadowed by speculation about whether he would meet with his father. The 41-year-old prince has said he wants to reconcile with the monarch, 77, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Father and son met briefly for tea in September 2025, marking the first time they had seen each other in well over a year.
King Charles III is seen arriving at Clarence House on Sept. 10, 2025, in London, England. The monarch had a private tea with his son, Prince Harry.(Belinda Jiao/
The Duke of Sussex is expected to visit the U.K. in September of this year. The Sun reported that the king will offer his younger son a room at Buckingham Palace during his stay. Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace and Archewell, which oversees the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for comment.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, poses for a selfie with well-wishers as he attends Scotty’s Summer Festival at Maxstoke Castle in Birmingham, England.(Heathcliff O’Malley-Pool/
“Harry’s issue isn’t that he left,” said Schofield. “It’s what he did after he left. Between the Oprah interview, the Netflix series, ‘Spare,’ and years of public criticism, he established a pattern of taking private family matters and turning them into commercial products. That’s exactly the type of risk the late queen was trying to avoid.”
“If anything, Harry’s conduct since 2020 has validated her decision rather than undermined it,” she argued. “In any professional organization, that wouldn’t strengthen your case for rejoining the leadership team. It would be cited as evidence that you cannot be trusted with confidential information or institutional responsibilities.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet well-wishers during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in London on Jan. 9, 2018. The “Suits” alum became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince later that year.(Samir Hussein/WireImage/
“The monarchy runs on trust,” Schofield continued. “Harry has spent the last several years demonstrating a pattern of monetizing privileged access to the royal family. The palace would have to ask itself whether Harry could be trusted to represent the institution. I think the answer to that question is no.”
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, departs after attending a bingo night at The Royal Hospital Chelsea in London on April 29, 2025.(Max Mumby/Indigo/
Schofield pointed to Sophie, now the Duchess of Edinburgh, as a cautionary tale. In 2001, she gave up her public relations career after an undercover reporter posing as a prospective client secretly recorded her discussing her royal connections. The controversy reinforced the palace’s view that commercial work and official royal duties could create conflicts, and Sophie went on to become a full-time working royal.
Today, she is widely regarded as one of the monarchy’s most valuable assets.
Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave after escorting Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace for her lying in state on Sept. 14, 2022, in London.(Emilio Morenatti – WPA Pool/
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that William and Harry haven’t spoken since 2022, when their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, died.
British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that, at most, she expects Harry to be offered “informal, limited and tightly controlled opportunities” while in the U.K. as he continues reconciliation efforts with his family. She said he will continue to participate in events supporting his charitable causes in his home country. However, a functional hybrid role isn’t in the cards, she insisted.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, take part in a Scar Tree Walk in Melbourne, Australia, on April 16, 2026.(Asanka Ratnayake/
“Prince William has been consistent in his opposition,” said Fordwich, referring to the king’s heir. “Princess Catherine is by his side on this, as are the courtiers and those whose role it is to protect the monarchy.”
The Sussexes continue to raise their children in the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito. As Harry continues to rebuild his relationship with his father, Schofield doesn’t believe a “half-in, half-out” role would ever be reconsidered.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are seen here waving from the balcony of the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji, on Oct. 23, 2018. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were on their official 16-day autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.(Chris Jackson/
“The late queen’s decision wasn’t a personal preference,” she said. “It was an institutional decision designed to protect the Crown’s impartiality and integrity. I don’t see King Charles reversing it.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex departs from The Invictus Games Foundation Conversation: From Policy to Practice at Chatham House on July 7, 2026, in London. Multiple royal experts told Fox News Digital that there’s no doubt King Charles’ younger son misses his life in the U.K.(Eamonn M. McCormack/
“The strongest opposition would likely come from those responsible for protecting the monarchy’s long-term stability, including Prince William and senior officials who understand the reputational risks. Once you allow one royal to commercially monetize royal status while carrying out official duties, it becomes incredibly difficult to explain why others cannot do the same.”
