5 tell-tale signs Prince Harry is planning a return home to the UK

Harry knows there’s no Archie and Lilibet in the UK without their mum Meghan and friends confirm he has made a serious bid for his father to “just talk to her”.

An insider adds, “Harry’s dream is to have a situation back in England where even Meghan will feel comfortable enough to return, but that’s not going to happen without Charles. Harry believes getting his dad at least talking to Meghan will be a huge step in smoothing over this feud. If Charles can give his word to her on FaceTime that she will be safe, Harry’s convinced she’ll return with the kids.”

King Charles rarely goes against the advice of his wife, Camilla, but sources say that not only did he ignore her warnings against meeting with Harry, he also cut her out of the situation entirely. “It goes without saying Harry was relieved Camilla wasn’t at that sit-down,” says an insider.

“He has the decency to be ashamed of how he painted her but Harry was also thrilled he got genuine one on one time with his father. It also shows that Charles is starting to trust Harry more by facing him alone without Camilla or a team of advisors – and that makes Harry very happy.”

One of the greatest moments for Prince Harry was when Charles presented him with his favourite chocolate cake – one he used to enjoy with his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II – during their now-famous 55-minute private tea at Clarence House.

An insider says, “Harry was almost in tears when it was brought in from the kitchen. It wasn’t just that his dad had made such a big effort, but it was also the emotional and sensory connection to ‘happier times’.

“It was very clever of Charles to disarm Harry in such a way – but a sure sign he wants his youngest son back. This meant more to Harry than anything else they talked about and he couldn’t stop raving to Meghan about it.”

The ultimate “welcome home” for Harry would be an invitation to join the family at Sandringham this Christmas, particularly now Prince William and Kate have announced their plans to be there.

“It’s unclear if Charles has formally extended the invitation yet, but Harry’s desperate to spend Christmas there with his kids – and Meghan, of course,” says an insider. “He wants to give Archie and Lilibet a traditional royal Christmas – but understandably there are a few hurdles to get through before William and Harry can share a friendly mulled wine around the tree.”

Harry’s made no secret of his homesickness to his close friends, including singer Joss Stone, but one of the biggest issues worrying both him and Meghan is the quality of education in California, currently the worst-ranking US state.

“The schools in California look beautiful, but none of that matters if the education is poor,” says an insider. “This is something Meghan and Harry talk about all the time, from home-schooling to the opportunities Harry could provide back home, like Eton.”