Meghan and Harry decided to move back to the UK because ‘the stars aligned’ and an acting part appeared for duchess – as it’s revealed offer to star in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix show The Gentlemen has been ‘withdrawn’

Meghan and Harry’s move back to the UK is reported to be because ‘the stars aligned’ and an acting role appeared for the Duchess, it has emerged – as the offer for her to star in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix  series The Gentlemen has been ‘withdrawn’.

The Sussexes are days away from a stunning return to Britain after six years in the US, but the motivation behind their sudden change of heart remains unclear.

It was initially thought their plans were prompted by improved relations with Harry’s father after a successful meeting in Gloucestershire last month.

But King Charles was this week said to be ‘blindsided’ after only being told of the Sussexes’ move last Sunday – just days before the news broke across the world.

The decision is instead believed to be down to a combination of factors, including developments in Meghan’s acting career, which was put on hold during their stay in Montecito, California.

A source told The Times: ‘Actually the stars aligned: it’s perfect timing in terms of the children’s schooling, there appeared to be a good acting opportunity here [for Meghan], and also the draw of family – not just being closer to the King, but the Spencers [his uncle and aunts on his maternal side] with whom Harry is very close. 

‘He and his brother are not speaking, but there are other members of the Royal Family he remains close to.’

Sadly for the Duchess, the ship already appears to have sailed on one of the key motivations behind her controversial return to the UK, after her touted role in The Gentlemen appears to have been ‘withdrawn’.

Meghan was rumoured to star as the ‘ultimate temptress’ in the third series of Guy Ritchie’s show which is set to start production this autumn.

But bosses got spooked by the ‘backlash’ to the Sussexes’ return, according to former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, which has involved widespread concern over who will foot the bill for the couple’s security needs.

It’s a blow for Meghan who is believed to have been offered a range of acting roles over the past few years but was said to be holding out for the correct part. 

Before the dust has even settled on the Sussexes’ move to the UK, it appears they are already plotting their next globetrotting journey.

A source revealed Meghan and Harry might be in Britain for as little as six months, before heading off to Canada and Australia and setting up shop there. 

The duke is not just gearing up to spend time with the royal side of his family, he and Meghan are also said to be keen to meet up with the Spencers during their stay. 

Earl Spencer, Harry’s uncle, was prepared to offer a house to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Althorp, the estate in Northamptonshire that has been the Spencer family home for over 500 years, the Daily Mail reported this week.

The Sussexes, however, did not make such a request during a weekend stay on the estate with their children last month. 

Instead, they are understood to have pinpointed a property in the Cotswolds as their UK home when they return here in the coming days.

Harry remained close to Charles Spencer after his and Meghan’s dramatic decision in 2020 to quit as senior royals and forge a new life across the Atlantic.

The duke has visited Althorp, Diana’s childhood home and where she is buried, a number of times in recent years, including what has been described as a ‘blissful’ few days spent with his wife and their two children last month.

In photographs shared by the duchess on Instagram, Prince Archie, Princess Lilibet and Prince Harry can be seen walking down a tree-lined avenue on the estate.

In one picture, the duke and his seven-year-old son can be seen carrying bouquets, which are thought to have been laid at Diana’s grave. 

In another photo, Harry playfully launches his daughter through the air in a pool at Althorp, while Meghan can be seen swimming in the background.

The photographs fuelled speculation that the family could move to a property on the estate. 

In an article published last week, royal biographer and former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown wrote: ‘It is widely thought that Charles Spencer will offer up a house at Althorp, which sits on 13,000 acres in Northamptonshire.’

But a source close to the earl denied the claim. ‘If Harry had asked his uncle for a property at Althorp, he would have done all he could to find him somewhere suitable,’ the source said. ‘But he [Harry] has made his own plans.’ 

Harry and William remain on non-speaking terms, four years after their last interaction at the late Queen’s funeral in 2022.

But the Prince of Wales is thought to be gearing up for his brother’s return holding a ‘Sussex summit’ with Charles during their annual summer break at Balmoral this week. 

The King was photographed behind the wheel of a hybrid electric Range Rover Sport Autobiography as he drove along the A933 near Balmoral.

Other pictures taken earlier this morning outside the estate showed a convoy of royals, including William and Kate, who were together in a Land Rover Discovery.

Princess Anne was behind the wheel in another car, while Zara and Mike Tindall were spotted in a further vehicle, and Prince Edward was driven by his son James.

A source told the Daily Mail that the Royal Family were believed to have gone grouse shooting in the area of Corgarff Castle, which is about a half-hour drive away. 

William remains estranged from his brother after Harry unleashed a barrage of accusations about him, his family and other royals in the wake of Megxit in 2020.

This situation is unlikely to change for now, with a source telling the Daily Mail that William ‘has no desire whatsoever to reconcile with his brother, as it stands’. 

The Waleses are also said to ‘have no interest in engaging with anything Harry and Meghan do or say’.

Kate and William have not reacted publicly to Harry’s return while they are on holiday at Balmoral with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

They are joining Charles and Camilla and a series of other royals for the annual trip to the Highlands, following the monarch’s arrival on Tuesday for his summer break.