Zara Tindall offers a surprising glimpse at what comes next

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing for a dramatically different life in Britain six years after stepping away from their roles as working members of the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly establishing a private, non-royal home in the U.K. with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, while retaining their properties in California and Portugal.

But despite their return, Harry and Meghan are not expected to resume official royal duties.

That leaves the couple in an unusual position: living close to the royal family while continuing to pursue independent careers and charitable work without formally representing King Charles.

It is a balancing act that other members of the extended royal family already know well, including Harry’s cousin Zara Tindall.

Zara’s circumstances are notably different from those of the Sussexes, but her life offers an interesting example of how a member of the King’s family can maintain close royal ties, appear at major family occasions and simultaneously pursue an independent career.

Zara Tindall has always lived outside the working monarchy:

Zara, the daughter of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, has never been a working royal.

Unlike Harry, she doesn’t have a royal title. Princess Anne’s children were raised without HRH styles or prince and princess titles, giving Zara and her brother, Peter Phillips, greater freedom to pursue lives outside the official monarchy.

Zara went on to build an accomplished equestrian career, representing Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics and winning a silver medal in team eventing.

Her position outside the working monarchy has also allowed her to pursue commercial partnerships and sponsorships alongside her sporting career. Yet being a private citizen hasn’t separated Zara from royal family life.

She and her husband, Mike Tindall, remain familiar faces at major family and ceremonial occasions, from Christmas gatherings and Easter services to Royal Ascot. Zara was also among the non-working royals who supported the family at a Buckingham Palace garden party in 2026.

The distinction is important, appearing alongside the royal family does not necessarily mean representing the monarch.

Could Harry and Meghan find a similar balance?

When Harry and Meghan return to Britain, they will face some of the same distinctions. They will remain members of the royal family but will not undertake official engagements on behalf of the King.

That doesn’t necessarily prevent them from appearing at family gatherings or being seen alongside their royal relatives.

Other non-working members of the family, including Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, have demonstrated how that distinction can work. Both have independent careers while continuing to appear at events involving the wider royal family.

Harry and Meghan could potentially occupy their own version of that space, particularly as the Duke rebuilds his relationship with his father. There are, however, major differences between the Sussexes and Zara.

Harry and Meghan operate on a very different scale:

Zara’s private career has largely revolved around equestrian sport and commercial partnerships connected to her public profile. Harry and Meghan have built a much larger international operation since leaving Britain.

Their post-royal lives have included television productions, publishing, global appearances and philanthropy. Meghan has also launched and expanded her lifestyle brand, As Ever, while Harry remains closely involved with the Invictus Games and organizations including WellChild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers.

Their royal status is different as well. Harry remains a prince and the Duke of Sussex, while Meghan remains the Duchess of Sussex. As the King’s son and daughter-in-law, their actions inevitably attract considerably more international attention than those of many members of the extended royal family.

Their return to Britain is therefore unlikely to be as low-key as Zara’s long-established position outside the working monarchy.

Their royal relationships add another complication:

Zara has remained publicly close to senior members of her family and is regularly photographed interacting warmly with King Charles, Prince William, the Princess of Wales and other relatives.

Harry and Meghan return to a much more complicated family dynamic.

Harry’s relationship with his father has shown signs of improvement, particularly following the Sussex family’s private reunion with Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove this summer.

His relationship with William, however, reportedly remains distant. That makes Harry and Meghan’s situation particularly unusual. They will be physically closer to the royal family than they have been in years while remaining outside the institution that governs official royal life.

This isn’t a return to working royal life:

Perhaps the most important distinction is that the Sussexes’ move does not reverse the agreement reached after their royal exit.

When Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back in January 2020, they initially proposed becoming financially independent while continuing to support Queen Elizabeth II.

The eventual arrangement was different. Following their departure, it was confirmed that the couple would no longer undertake the responsibilities and duties associated with being working members of the royal family.

Their return to Britain does not change that. Instead, Harry is expected to continue his independent charitable work, including his involvement with the Invictus Games, WellChild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers, while Meghan continues developing As Ever and her other projects.

In that sense, Zara provides an intriguing comparison, but not an exact blueprint. Her life demonstrates that a member of the royal family can maintain a private career, earn an independent income and still participate in significant family occasions without becoming a working representative of the Crown.

Harry and Meghan will now have to determine what their own version of that balance looks like. Six years after leaving the working monarchy behind, their return to Britain may ultimately create something that has long existed elsewhere within the royal family, a life close to the royals, but outside royal duty.