Prince Harry is expected to make a royal return to the United Kingdom later this year. And when he does, he'll reportedly be making the trip alone.

According to reports, Prince Harry is planning to make the trip from his new home in Santa Barbara, California to London in June of this year to both attend the Trooping of the Colour, and to attend the unveiling of a statue in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana, at Kensington Palace in July. (As a bonus, this timeline means he'd also be in town to celebrate Prince Philip's 100th birthday.)

When he does return, Harry will do so alone, as his wife, Meghan Markle, and their young son will stay behind. However, Meghan's supporters and insiders are coming to her defense, saying her decision to stay in the U.S. isn't a snub against the royal family, but rather a decision to stay safe in the midst of the pandemic.

"Neither Meghan nor Harry have been vaccinated and travel plans are still very much up in the air. Meghan wouldn't want to be away from Archie and it would be very tricky to factor a small child into their travels with all the restrictions that could potentially be in place," Omid Scobie, co-author of the Sussexes biography, "Finding Freedom," shared with OK! Magazine. "It seems easier at this moment for Harry to do the trip solo. But it is not Meghan's intention to snub the family. If COVID wasn't a factor, she would be there."

Beyond health reasons, another source noted to The Daily Mail that Meghan's choice to stay home may also be in an effort to avoid intense media scrutiny for the entire family.

"Harry wants to come back for The Queen and Prince Philip's big birthdays," a source said. "But it looks likely it will be just him. If Meghan comes back, the feeling is that it would overshadow the occasion. People would only be looking at the 'drama' of it all. Of course, she would be welcome, but a decision not to come would postpone that headache for a while at least."

That's not to say Meghan won't ever return to the U.K. alongside Harry. Yet another source shared with The Telegraph that Harry "wants to spend more time in the UK" after coronavirus travel restrictions ease. This means a family vacation to see his grandparents, great grandparents, and cousins may one day be in the books for little Archie.

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