Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 03: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. Karwai Tang/WireImage

KEY POINTS

  • Princess Diana's former chief of staff, Patrick Jephson, weighed in on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return to the U.K. this week
  • Jephson believed that the charities working with the Sussexes would give them a warm welcome in Britain
  • He also believed there would be a lot of scrutinies because the British media have divided views about the couple

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are back in the United Kingdom, and Princess Diana's former chief of staff, Patrick Jephson, weighed in on the reception they would receive from the public during their return.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in England this week for some engagements. Many believed they received a cold reception when they joined the royal family for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration in June. Princess Diana's former aide, Jephson, joined CNN's Jim Acosta, and the latter asked him about the potential reception for the royal couple.

Jephson believed that Prince Harry and Markle would receive a mix of a warm and cold reception this time.

"It's safe to say that the reception would be mixed," Jephson told CNN's Acosta. "They're gonna support three excellent charities, and they each have hands-on experience with these organizations. So, there will be a lot of warmth in the welcome, there will be a lot of support."

The author of "The Meghan Factor" also believed that some individuals wouldn't be as welcoming as those charities working with the royal couple.

"There will also be a lot of scrutinies. I mean the British media have a pretty divided view about Harry and Meghan. They are polarizing figures, and this is particularly a sensitive time for the British monarchy," he added.

Jephson noted that the Queen would be greeting a new Prime Minister on Tuesday. He added that "sadly the current reign is drawing to an end" and considered it "momentous days in the royal history." However, he left it to the public to find out how the Sussexes would leave an impression after their visit by leaving a question.

"The question is — are Harry and Meghan gonna be remembered as positive elements in that history or as a bit of a sideshow?" the "Shadows of a Princess" scribe said.

Mail on Sunday editor at large Charlotte Griffith also shared her thoughts about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's U.K. return when she appeared on "Palace Confidential" last month. According to her, Prince Harry and Markle wanted to make their return to the U.K. like a royal tour.

"I think they've announced these dates because they want to give a chance for crowds to gather because if they do have a Netflix crew with them, they don't want to... I mean, imagine how embarrassing [it would be] if there were about three people up there sort of waving," Griffith claimed. "They want us all to get excited and to talk about it, and they want it to look like a royal tour, I think."

Harry and Meghan made their first public appearance in Britain for two years
Harry and Meghan made their first public appearance in Britain for two years POOL via AFP / TOBY MELVILLE