Meghan Markle is reportedly afraid of returning to the UK because of what she sees as a hostile media environment.
According to reports, Meghan may accompany Prince Harry for an event linked to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Speaking with Radar Online, friends of the Duchess of Sussex said she worries that every word she says and every outfit she wears would be picked apart and it would make her visit emotionally draining.
A former palace insider said, "She feels the U.K. is a place where she is judged without pause. In her mind, every word she speaks and every outfit she wears would be picked apart in minute detail, and she finds the prospect of facing that level of hostility deeply intimidating."
Another insider said that in California, Meghan has created a controlled space where she can protect herself, but returning to UK would mean facing intense scrutiny from tabloids and online critics.
"In California she feels she has carved out a space where she can manage her environment and protect herself,” they said.
“Going back to the U.K. would mean handing that sense of control back to a media culture she believes is unpredictable and fundamentally hostile toward her."