Harry and Meghan Head Back to Britain Six Years After Leaving Royal Life

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the United Kingdom, six years after stepping away from their roles as senior members of the royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to relocate later this month with their children, marking a significant change after establishing their family life in California following their royal departure.

Prince Archie, now 7, and Princess Lilibet, now 5, are already enrolled to begin the upcoming school term at a British school in September. The move will give both children considerably greater exposure to British life and place them closer to members of Harry’s family after spending most or all of their childhoods living in the United States.

Harry and Meghan are expected to settle in a private residence outside London rather than move into a palace or another royal property. The decision reflects their intention to maintain the independence and privacy they established after leaving royal duties. Their return to Britain will not restore their previous positions within the monarchy or make them working royals again.

The Duke and Duchess will continue living as private citizens and are not expected to represent King Charles III through official royal engagements. Their relocation therefore does not revive the type of arrangement discussed during their 2020 departure, when questions emerged over whether they could combine an independent commercial life with some responsibilities as working members of the royal family.

The relocation does not mean Harry and Meghan are completely abandoning the life they established outside Britain. The couple intends to retain their multimillion-dollar estate in Montecito, California, as well as their property in Portugal. Maintaining homes outside the UK will allow the Sussexes to preserve the international lifestyle they developed after becoming financially independent from the royal institution.

Harry and Meghan formally stepped away from senior royal duties in March 2020 following an increasingly difficult period involving the institution and intense scrutiny from the British tabloid press. They eventually established themselves in California, where they pursued independent commercial ventures, including productions for Netflix, while Harry published his bestselling memoir, Spare, detailing his experiences within the royal family.

Despite establishing a new life in California, Harry has repeatedly expressed his attachment to his home country and his desire for Archie and Lilibet to develop stronger connections with Britain. A positive family visit to the UK in July, which included time at Althorp, the ancestral home of his late mother Princess Diana, reportedly helped solidify the decision to return.

The move also comes as Harry’s strained relationship with King Charles III shows signs of improving. Their relationship deteriorated following the Sussexes’ Oprah Winfrey interview, Netflix series and Harry’s memoir. The dynamic began shifting after Charles’ cancer diagnosis, which prompted Harry to return to Britain and renewed efforts toward greater contact between father and son.

In July, Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet reportedly met King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House. The meeting gave Charles an opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren following years of limited contact. The King was subsequently informed about the Sussexes’ relocation plans and is understood to welcome the prospect of having Harry’s family living considerably closer.

Harry has publicly expressed a desire to end the prolonged conflict with his relatives. Speaking about the possibility of repairing those relationships, he told the BBC: «I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has.» His comments marked a significant change in tone.

Returning to Britain will bring Harry and Meghan geographically closer to the royal family without reversing the independence they established in 2020. Archie and Lilibet will experience British schooling and greater proximity to their relatives, while their parents remain outside the working monarchy. Representatives for the Sussexes and Buckingham Palace have declined to issue an official statement regarding the reported relocation.