Queen Elizabeth II reigned as monarch for 70 years until her death in 2022. During her reign, she was known for following strict royal protocol and etiquette rules. Her strictness reportedly led to Prince Charles not being able to marry Camilla Parker Bowles immediately as Camilla was not deemed good enough for him. The Queen held a firm belief that there was no such thing as a “part-time royal,” and this belief may be the reason why Charles and Prince William are hesitant to let Harry back into the family.
According to royal author Tom Quinn, the Queen did not like the idea of anyone being a part-time royal, which is why she allowed Harry and Meghan to leave the royal family. However, she perhaps did not think that Harry would ever want to become a member of the royal family in some capacity but not all.
Quinn believes that Charles and William will not allow Harry to pick and choose which royal events he attends, except for the massive ones such as a coronation. The late Queen’s firm belief was that you cannot be a part-time royal, and Charles and William are not willing to go against it. Quinn added that Charles and William would not agree to Harry returning to the royal family in some capacity because Elizabeth hated the idea.
As of now, there is no indication that Harry wants to return to the royal family, except for some rumors swirling around. Harry did attend Charles’ coronation ceremony, but he was hardly noticed throughout the day. When Harry and Meghan returned for the queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, they were not on the balcony with the rest of the royals. It is uncertain whether Harry and Meghan are still welcome to attend royal events, but they will not be considered working royals where it counts, such as those long-awaited balcony appearances.
Charles loves his son and would allow Harry to be a more prominent member if he wanted to be, but there is no indication that Harry is making any effort to return to the royal family.
