Royals Won't Invite Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Back After Exit: Royal Correspondent

Other members of the royal family are stepping up after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit and amid Queen Elizabeth's health issues, according to a royal correspondent.

In a new video on his YouTube channel, royal and entertainment reporter Neil Sean claimed that while they stepped back from their roles as working royals back in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex thought that they would eventually be invited back, especially now that the 96-year-old monarch has been making fewer appearances and delegating more and more of her duties to her children and grandchildren.

However, Sean claimed that under a new strategy by Prince Charles and William, Prince Harry and Markle will be replaced by other members of the royal family, including Princess Anne's husband, retired Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence. International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

"Harry and Meghan [thought that they are] invincible and the monarch won't survive without them. But as we've seen over the last 18 months, for Harry and Meghan, it's proven a very difficult transitional period," the royal correspondent said.

"Harry and Meghan ... really felt that at some point, they would have to return because they thinned down the monarchy," he continued. "[But] they have decided not to reinvite Harry and Meghan back, and it's other members of the British monarchy who are stepping forward and showing their mettle. One, in particular, is the husband of Princess Anne, Admiral Tim Laurence."

Last week, Laurence attended the Royal Hospital Chelsea's Founder's Day, an event regularly attended by members of the royal family, on behalf of his wife on June 9. That day, Princess Anne attended a reception at Kensington Palace in London for Save the Children, of which she has been a patron and supporter for decades.

Laurence, who gave a speech during the event, "played a spectacular card, made the crowd laugh and admitted that he felt he was second best. And he felt sure that everybody really had turned up for his wife," according to Sean.

Princess Anne's husband did so well that Prince Charles and Prince William are reportedly "now going to include him on their royal rota to see if possible that he could take on more royal events, the likes of charities, openings and, of course, representing the monarch when she's indisposed on various occasions," Sean claimed.

The royal correspondent also noted that in addition to Laurence, Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and their daughter Lady Louise have been stepping forward to help in the absence of Prince Harry and Markle.

However, royal biographer Christopher Andersen recently said he believes that Prince Harry is likely "more determined" to distance himself and his family from the royals after the Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this month.

During a recent interview on the "Royally Us" podcast, co-host Christina Garibaldi asked Andersen if he believes part of Prince Harry regrets his decision to leave royal life, noting the "divide" between the Sussexes and the senior royals when they celebrated Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee in the U.K. earlier this month.

"No, I would say that [Harry] is digging in," Andersen claimed. "I think, if anything, this kind of treatment at their hands just makes them more determined to live a separate life."

The royal expert also claimed that any attempts by Prince Harry and Markle to "mend fences" with other members of the royal family were unsuccessful.

"They went there hoping to mend fences and ran into a brick wall," he claimed of the couple's recent trip to the U.K. "I thought that there would be an opportunity for [Harry] to show up there to show the solidarity [and] the future of the monarchy. … I'm sure they expected to have a warmer welcome than what they received."