Meghan Markle Makes a Major Life Decision That Could Take Her Far From Harry and the Kids for Weeks

The Duchess had said yes to spending weeks overseas, but whether her husband and two young children would go with her remained an unanswered question.

Meghan Markle, 45, had barely returned to Britain with Prince Harry when news broke on October 26, 2026, that she would spend weeks in Australia the following year.

But with seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet back home, what had persuaded her to say yes to a trip that could take her so far from her children?

Meghan Left Her TV Husband Behind, but the Cameras Kept Calling

For seven seasons, television audiences knew Meghan as Rachel Zane on "Suits." Before marrying Harry in 2018, she had built a career playing someone whose romantic and professional dramas belonged to a script. Her own life soon supplied more than enough of both for the headlines.

In 2022, Meghan told Variety that she was finished with acting. Yet leaving Rachel behind hardly meant disappearing from television, and her next major on-screen venture brought viewers into a very different setting.

"With Love, Meghan" placed her recipes and kitchen at the center of a Netflix lifestyle series. Two seasons and a holiday special arrived in 2025, while her As Ever brand launched that same year, roughly a month after the show's premiere.

Cooking also offered a connection to life with Archie and Lilibet. Meghan spoke about enjoying it with her children, making the kitchen a familiar place both at home and in front of the cameras. And she had tried that combination well before Netflix.

Back in 2016, she appeared as a guest judge on Food Network's "Chopped Junior," working with young contestants. A decade later, an invitation from Australia would bring her back to that world. This time, accepting meant committing to a stay long enough to raise a much more personal question about her own children.

She Said Yes to Young Cooks. Her Own Children's Plans Were Still Undecided

Meghan is set to appear on "Junior MasterChef Australia," joining chef and presenter Poh Ling Yeow as the children's competition returned to television. According to People, her involvement would be as a special guest, despite early reports describing her as a host.

Producers said she and Poh would help guide the next generation of young culinary talent. Meghan sounded delighted by the prospect. "I had an incredible time with the whole team at MasterChef this past April, so when they approached me to come back and work with this young group of talent, it was an easy yes," she said in the announcement.

She continued: "I love cooking with my own kids, so seeing what these young stars create in the kitchen is going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait to see what they cook up!"

There was an affectionate explanation for her enthusiasm. There was also the possibility that she would spend those weeks helping young contestants while Archie and Lilibet stayed thousands of miles away. However, that separation had not been decided.

Harry and the children might accompany her, but People clarified that the family was not relocating to Australia. Filming is due to begin in 2027, with the series airing on Australia's Network 10. The trip would last a few weeks, giving Meghan a temporary Australian base rather than another permanent family address.

The invitation followed a previous visit down under that apparently left quite an impression, both in the television kitchen and in the viewing figures.

Her Last Australian Appearance Left Contestants Speechless

Meghan and Harry visited Australia together for four days in April 2026. During the trip, she slipped away to Melbourne Showgrounds to film a guest-judging appearance on "MasterChef Australia."

Alongside Poh and fellow judges Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli, she mentored contestants who had not been warned about their surprise visitor. Poh later recalled their reaction in an interview with 10 News.

"The reaction from the contestants was exactly what we wanted. They were in total shock, everyone's jaws were on the ground."

She added: "In their wildest dreams, they would not have expected this, so it was very joyous for us to watch." The surprise worked beyond the kitchen, too. According to Variety, the episode delivered the show's largest Sunday audience since 2023.

For producers considering a reunion, those numbers offered a compelling reason to pick up the phone. The children's edition would be produced by Endemol Shine Australia, part of Banijay Entertainment, and distributed internationally by Banijay Rights. A production source said its 2027 return would follow a six-year absence.

Poh welcomed the revival enthusiastically. "I'm thrilled to bits that Junior MasterChef is returning to our screens," she said. "People often ask me whether it might come back, so I know the news will be met with plenty of excitement."

She was equally warm about Meghan: "I had a lovely time filming with Meghan earlier this year, and being reunited will be a real treat."

That sounded like an entirely happy first encounter. An insider, however, claimed Meghan's team had been less pleased with the introduction that announced her arrival.

The Royal Welcome Reportedly Wasn't What Meghan Requested

Poh gave Meghan a suitably grand entrance during her April appearance. "We've had MasterChef royalty in the kitchen before but no one like this," she said. Then came the announcement:

"All the way from sunny California, please welcome to MasterChef Australia … The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle!"

According to News.com.au, a source claimed Meghan and her team were frustrated because they had specifically asked for the word "royal" to be avoided.

The insider said they heard the promotional wording only when it was released publicly. The outlet suggested the concern might have involved criticism about commercial activities being connected to royal status, although Meghan did not publicly give that explanation.

Whatever the reported irritation, she agreed to return. Poh, meanwhile, said she expected delicious surprises and some mischief from their young contestants.

Additionally, News.com.au reported that filming was likely to take several weeks in the early to middle part of 2027. Melbourne was the anticipated location because the main series filmed there, although the children's edition's location had not been confirmed.

The same outlet said Harry and the children might join Meghan. That possibility fitted the flexible approach to family life insiders had described after the Sussexes returned to Britain.

Having spent six years in California, the couple reportedly wanted the freedom to live internationally. News.com.au first revealed their British move in August 2026, when a source quoted by The Times suggested Canada or Australia could appeal to them for a temporary stay.

Now Australia offered Meghan a specific reason to go. And while her welcome there sounded enthusiastic, another television prospect had become considerably less comfortable.

The Netflix Comeback Ended With a Rather Awkward Accusation

On October 27, Fox News reported that Meghan was no longer in talks to join the third season of "The Gentlemen." A role in Guy Ritchie's Netflix drama would have marked a conspicuous return to scripted television. Its United Kingdom setting also made the possibility especially interesting after her move back to Britain.

But her casting had never been confirmed. The series was renewed for a third season in August. Earlier accounts described discussions about Meghan as preliminary, with a potential role still being written and no clear indication of how many episodes it might involve.

Then came the claim that the speculation had benefited Netflix rather nicely. "Some people in her camp feel she was used to help promote Season 2, because they knew it wasn't as good as the first season and had already commissioned a third," a source told The Telegraph, as quoted by Fox News.

But a source close to Netflix rejected the suggestion that the series needed such help. "This is not a show in need of stunt casting," the insider told The Times. It was an uncomfortable dispute to emerge just as an influential supporter of the Sussexes was leaving Netflix.

Meghan's Netflix Champion Was Heading for the Exit

According to Variety, Bela Bajaria was departing Netflix after nearly 10 years. Approximately 1,000 employees were reportedly laid off. British broadcaster Helena Chard described the significance for Harry and Meghan.

"Harry and Meghan's champion inside Netflix, Bela Bajaria, has recently left the streaming service," she told Fox News Digital. Meghan had previously credited Bela with seeing television potential in her homemade gifts. Speaking at the TIME100 Summit, she said "With Love, Meghan" had been Bela's idea.

Doubt already surrounded the show's future, and January 2026 reports signaled that creators would not produce a third season. Then, in March 2026, Netflix and Meghan announced the end of their partnership involving As Ever, with Meghan continuing the lifestyle brand independently.

Commentator Kinsey Schofield viewed the reported criticism of Netflix as a revealing development.

"This was one of their most important commercial partners," she told Fox News Digital. "You don't typically throw a company under the bus when you're counting on them to finance your next big project."

Kinsey interpreted the situation as evidence that the relationship had effectively ended. Harry and Meghan first partnered with the streamer in 2020, under a deal reportedly worth $100 million. Their releases included "Harry & Meghan" and "Live to Lead" in 2022, followed by "Heart of Invictus" in 2023 and "Polo" in 2024.

Though rumors that summer suggested the streamer would abandon their partnership, Netflix locked in a fresh multiyear first-look deal with Archewell Productions in August 2025.

Bela's departure nevertheless left a question about who would advocate for their future work. A consultant who had worked closely with her told The Times that the Sussexes were uncertain about who would champion them next.

Against that uncertainty, Meghan's Australian appearance came with the reassurance of a public announcement and an enthusiastic returning colleague.

She Once Said Acting Was Over. A New Cameo Suggested Otherwise

Although "The Gentlemen" had not produced a confirmed role, Meghan had already stepped back into acting elsewhere. She filmed a cameo in the upcoming movie "Close Personal Friends," starring Lily Collins and Jack Quaid. That gave the comeback conversation something firmer than casting speculation.

Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner offered a supportive assessment of her prospects. "If she wanted to return to acting, which I believe is still a passion, then she could bring great credit to any production," he told Fox News Digital.

For now, her Australian commitment would draw on the cooking interests she had already brought to television. It also followed a difficult week involving her father, Thomas Markle, who recently faced serious allegations of possessing child-endangering images. Unsurprisingly, he has denied the accusations.

Meghan had described the Australian invitation as an easy yes. Whether Archie and Lilibet would be beside her during that stay remained a decision for the family.