Meghan Markle Eyes Major UK U-Turn as Abandoned British Citizenship Plan Could Be Revived
Meghan Markle could reportedly make a major U-turn following her return to UK by reviving her abandoned plan to become a British citizen, years after her move to California effectively brought the process to an end.
The Duchess of Sussex originally intended to pursue British citizenship after marrying Prince Harry in 2018, when she was preparing to establish her permanent home in the UK as a working member of the Royal Family.
At the time, Kensington Palace made clear that Meghan would go through the normal citizenship process rather than receiving special treatment because of her marriage to Harry.
However, those plans were disrupted when Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020 and eventually established their family home in California.
Once the Sussexes had settled permanently in the United States, there was little practical reason for Meghan to continue pursuing a process based around making Britain her long-term home.
The situation has changed considerably following Harry and Meghan’s return to the UK with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet for an extended period.
Their renewed presence has consequently raised questions about whether Meghan could reconsider the citizenship plans she once expected to pursue after joining the Royal Family.
When she married Harry, Meghan genuinely appeared to be building her future in Britain, meaning citizenship would have been a natural part of putting down permanent roots in her adopted country.
Megxit transformed those circumstances. The Sussexes instead created a new life in America, pursued independent projects and raised Archie and Lilibet largely away from the British royal establishment.
Their latest move has now reopened a possibility that seemed to have disappeared completely. If Britain once again becomes a significant long-term base for the family, Meghan could have a practical reason to revisit her previous plans.
That does not mean the Duchess has formally restarted a citizenship application. There has been no confirmed announcement from Meghan or her representatives that she intends to immediately begin studying for or taking the required citizenship test.
Instead, the suggestion is that British citizenship could logically return to consideration depending on how permanent the Sussex family’s renewed UK arrangements become.
Such a decision would nevertheless mark a striking reversal from the circumstances surrounding Meghan’s departure. She has previously spoken about the difficulties she experienced while living in Britain and why she felt unable to continue her previous royal life.
For now, Meghan’s British citizenship remains a possibility rather than a confirmed plan. But with Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet rebuilding a routine in the UK, a process that was effectively abandoned after Megxit could once again find its way onto the Duchess’s agenda if Britain becomes a lasting part of the family’s future.
