Madame Tussauds gives Harry and Meghan's waxworks a travel makeover
Madame Tussauds London gives Harry and Meghan's waxworks suitcases and a new home in its British Culture Capital zone ahead of their reported UK return.
LIFE
8/23/20262 min read
The Sussexes may be crossing the Atlantic again, and Madame Tussauds London has already packed for them. With reports pointing to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spending more time in Britain, the attraction is giving their likenesses a proper sendoff, temporarily moving them into its British Culture Capital zone.
Harry's figure now carries a green suitcase, while Meghan's has been paired with a navy one. The waxworks are dressed to resemble the couple's appearance at the Endeavour Fund Awards in March 2020, shortly before they stepped back as senior working royals. A Royal Guard figure has also been placed nearby.
Their new spot puts them alongside figures including Sir David Attenborough, English footballer Harry Kane, and William Shakespeare. The Culture Capital zone is built around personalities tied to British life and culture, giving the Sussexes a different setting from the traditional royal display they once occupied.
"With the surprise news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are returning to UK shores, we wanted to mark the occasion at Madame Tussauds London," said Ali King, the attraction's head of operations, calling the new arrangement a "star-studded British reunion."
The move follows reports that Harry and Meghan are planning an extended stay in Britain later in August, more than six years after stepping back from royal duties and settling in California. Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are also reportedly expected to attend school in the UK starting September.
That doesn't necessarily amount to a return to royal life. The couple are still expected to remain non-working royals, and reporting suggests they'll keep their home in Montecito while spending more time in Britain. Any relocation would be more of a geographic shift than a restoration of their former institutional roles.
Madame Tussauds has a history of adjusting the Sussexes' placement to reflect changes in their public lives. After Harry and Meghan announced in January 2020 that they'd step back from senior royal duties, the attraction removed their figures from its main Royal Family grouping. The pair later appeared in the attraction's Awards Party area, and in 2022, their figures were briefly reunited with other royal waxworks ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
Harry and Meghan's real-life return, if it plays out as reported, carries considerably more weight than the display suggests. Their years in the U.S. have included media projects, charitable work, commercial ventures under the Archewell umbrella, and the publication of Harry's memoir "Spare," alongside recurring tensions with members of the royal family.
Image: Madame Tussauds