The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will need to work with – and possibly defer to – Buckingham Palace when they move back to the UK later this month after years of frosty relations, royal insiders said.

While visiting a charity in Los Angeles may go largely unnoticed, there will be far more media attention when they carry out visits in the UK, especially if one of the working Royal Family is doing something similar and possibly trying to communicate a different message, sources said.

Harry and Meghan’s explosive homecoming will add a new complexity to the official work of the monarchy, and the Prince and Princess of Wales – whose rift with the Sussexes has not healed – are also likely to have to coordinate with the couple despite the potential antipathy.

Those close to William and Kate have so far suggested they will just carry on as normal and ignore the distraction. But after previous disruptions to their agenda caused by diary clashes with Harry and Meghan, they may need to think again.

Six years after walking away from the Royal Family, Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, may also have to think more about the impact on the monarchy of what they say or do if they want to repair relations with King Charles and other members of the family.

The pecking order

One of the Sussexes’ key frustrations before they quit official duties in March 2020 was that – despite being the Royal Family’s newest stars – they were fourth in the pecking order behind Queen Elizabeth, Charles and Queen Camilla, and William and Kate, and had to give them priority when arranging dates for engagements and key speeches.

They are unlikely to want to return to that system fully but The i Paper understands they intend to continue with an agreement to coordinate with the Royal Household as a matter of courtesy, so that both sides can try to deconflict as much as possible.

That arrangement was set up in July last year as Harry began a process of trying to build bridges with his father.

Those communications broke down occasionally, such as when Harry announced a trip to Canada five minutes after William arrived in Rio de Janeiro on an official visit for his Earthshot Award last November for a week of engagements that clashed with Harry’s.

However, it is understood that, in general, the agreement is working well, and the tempo and nature of their engagements are largely compatible.

But some courtiers recognise that the potential for diary clashes will intensify when Harry and Meghan are in Britain carrying out engagements in the same time zone. “They’ll have to deal with that,” one royal source said.

The longtime royal watcher Joe Little, managing editor of magazine, agreed. He said: “I think the pecking order will no longer apply to them,” but suggested behind-the-scenes coordination would have to step up when the Sussexes are in Britain. “The goalposts have moved across the world,” he said. “It would make sense to coordinate wherever possible.”

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Time in Britain unclear

It remains unclear how long Harry and Meghan will be based in the UK.

A source close to the couple has said they decided to make the move for a variety of reasons: They have cited Harry missing Britain, wanting to raise and educate his children here and being closer to some of his key charities, while ruling out claims that it was anything to do with their tax affairs or his US visa.

There have also been reports – which the Sussexes’ office has declined to discuss – that Meghan, who made her name in the TV legal drama , was in talks over a role in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix crime comedy series , which is filming in Britain.

Tina Brown, a former editor of and , said she was told the deal was off but it too remains unclear. The Sussexes and their aides maintained their refusal to discuss it this weekend.

A source close to the couple also played down a report claiming their family might only stay in the UK for six months before moving on to another country, such as Canada.

The source said they expect to stay for “an extended period” but it is thought likely that they will, at the very least, want to be living in Britain still when Harry’s Invictus Games for wounded, injured and sick troops and military veterans comes to Birmingham in July 2027.

Harry is keen for the King to attend the games and an invitation is expected to be issued to the monarch, not from him personally but from the Invictus Games Foundation, the insider said.