As her rift with the Royal Family deepens, a royal expert has claimed that Meghan Markle has become "Britain-phobic”.

Meghan hasn't stepped foot in the UK since 2022, when she attended the late Queen Elizabeth's state funeral in London. In 2020, the couple stepped down as working members of the Royal Family and sought their escape in Montecito, in Meghan's home state of California.

The Duke of Sussex was speaking to Rebecca Barry on the ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial The Duke of Sussex on the ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial where he revealed that the UK is not safe for his wife and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

He said: “It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read.

"And whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”

However, royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo believes Meghan’s UK snub is not due to safety concerns, but is because she thinks that she would not get a warm reception.

Speaking to GB News, Heydel-Mankoo said: "This is not about knives. This is not about acid. This is about Meghan's fear of booing.

"I don't think she actually likes this country because of all the negative associations she has with it from her time living here. I don't think she's ever really fit into this country anyway.

"Harry should have brought his grandchildren to see his father after the cancer diagnosis, he's only seen Lilibet once. Archie, only a handful of times."

He added: "I think this is all scapegoating for the real reason that they can't come over here."

There has been speculation that Meghan's unpopularity, as well as their ongoing battle to restore their taxpayer-funded security, could also be behind her decision to stay away.

It is also believed that Meghan will not attend the Invictus Games which are coming home after 13 years in 2027 after it was announced that Birmingham won the bid to host the event in a competition against US finalist Washington DC.

TalkTV host Kevin O’Sullivan said: "I predict that Prince Harry will attend but I bet you Meghan does not. I don't think Meghan will set foot in this country ever again."