Harry and Meghan ‘relate to Britain differently’ after six years in California, says Sussexes' biographer

Harry and Meghan ‘relate to Britain differently’ after six years in California, says Sussexes' biographer Omid Scobie, who has previously been described as a ‘cheerleader’ of the Duke and Duchess, has claimed that the royal couple are ‘not the same people who left’ in 2020 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s past biographer Omid Scobie has weighed in on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s plans to return to the UK, as he claims the couple ‘relate to Britain differently’ after spending six years in California. Omid, who was once described as a ‘cheerleader’ for Harry and Meghan and is known for his close relationship with the couple, said that the Sussexes are now ‘older, raising two children, building businesses and careers independent of royal life’. Writing on his newly launched Substack, Omid shared his thoughts on Harry and Meghan’s return to the UK, more than six years after they quit their royal roles in 2020. On his Substack, called Off Script, he shared that he was told in 2023 that California was ‘not destined to be the only base’ for Harry and Meghan, and that moving to the UK makes sense for the next phase of their lives. Omid wrote: “It was the right home for that chapter of their lives, but their children's education and evolving priorities would shape what came next - including where they chose to live, and for how long.” Omid reflected on his own experiences under the spotlight as a result of his friendship with the Duke and Duchess, and how he also moved from London to California in 2023, three years after Harry and Meghan. He said: “Leaving somewhere and returning to it later are not contradictory acts. "Sometimes distance is what reshapes the relationship. The place you come from can mean something different in your forties or fifties than it did in your twenties or thirties, after years away and as priorities shift.” Omid added: “Harry and Meghan themselves are not the same people who left. They are older, raising two children, building businesses and careers independent of royal life, and relate to Britain differently than they once did.” Omid forged a fierce friendship with Harry and Meghan, and was dubbed their ‘cheerleader’ as he became a leading authority on their relationship and their departure from their royal lives. He co-authored the 2020 book Finding Freedom, a biography which chronicled the Sussexes’ lives and outlined their many frustrations with the Firm. He also wrote the 2023 book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival. Upon the news of Harry and Meghan’s move back to the UK breaking, the royal author claimed that the Duke and Duchess have been ‘slowly and methodically’ planning their move to Britain, adding that clues about the Sussexes leaving America after six years 'have been there all along'. Omid told ABC News: “I think if you've been watching the story really closely, the clues have been there all along. We saw earlier this year that Harry and Meghan started to scale down the size of their offices here, the number of staff working for them in the US. We also saw them scale down their charitable foundation as well to operate on a different working model. "And so you can see then along the way this is a couple that have been slowly and methodically planning some form of move. Whether it's the version that was announced [last week], only they know, but this is definitely a couple that have been looking to make changes, for sure.”