Meghan Markle ‘making it about herself’ says Levin

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will return to the UK next week for the Platinum Jubilee weekend, in their first official trip back together since they stepped down from royal duties. They are expected to attend several of the official royal engagements over the extended weekend.

Sources involved in putting together the celebrations have been frustrated by the uncertainty over where the Duke and Duchess will pop up over the weekend, expressing fears any unannounced visits could take the shine away from the monarch’s moment.

The Sussexes’ “surprise” visits have fed worries that a media “circus” will follow them during their brief trip back, rather than focusing on the Queen’s achievements, the Telegraph reports.

The newspaper said the Duke and Duchess, 40, intend “to limit themselves” to pre-planned public engagements during their visit, and staying away from spontaneous or unofficial appearances.

Meghan made an unforeseen trip down to Texas on Thursday, visiting the grief-stricken town of Uvalde which was the site of the US’s worst mass school shooting in over a decade earlier this week.

The Duchess appeared overcome with emotion as she lay a bouquet of flowers at a makeshift memorial site near Robb Elementary School.

Two teachers were killed alongside 19 schoolchildren when 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos opened fire in a classroom after barricading himself in with the terrified pupils and staff.

But looking ahead to the Jubilee weekend, a spokesperson for the couple said they were “excited and honoured” to make the trip back, bringing with them their two children.

But Prince Harry, 37, and wife Meghan will take a back seat at some of the most prominent events of the extended Jubilee weekend.

They will not stand with the rest of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Trooping the Colour parade, kicking off the celebrations.

The parade will mark the Queen’s official birthday on Thursday, June 2.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the Queen had decided to limit the royal representatives out on the balcony after “careful consideration”.

They said that the group would be limited only to “members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties”.

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However, reports suggested earlier this week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are likely to join the Royal Family for the Friday service at St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Sussexes’ biographer, Omid Scobie, said Prince Harry had spoken with his grandmother about the balcony appearance “long before” the news hit the headlines.

He said the couple was “very keen” to be part of the celebrations, but “both sides” agreed it would be more appropriate for the Duke and Duchess to skip the balcony appearance.

Writing for Yahoo!, the ‘Finding Freedom’ author wrote: “As is often the case, the reality is much less severe when you hear that Prince Harry had already spoken with his grandmother about the possibility of not attending Trooping the Colour long before last week’s announcements.

“I’m told by a source that the Duke of Sussex had actually expressed some time ago that he and Meghan were very keen to be a part of the Jubilee engagements.”

Mr Scobie said the Duke was hoping to attend “the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral,” but was “less” keen for the “formal balcony moment”.

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