Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan to move back to Britain this month with their two children. The reported return comes six years after they stepped away from royal duties and relocated to the United States.
A source close to the couple said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will move from California for an extended period. Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are expected to begin school in Britain in September.
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The Guardian reported that the family is expected to live in a non-royal residence outside London. King Charles learned of the decision on Sunday and reportedly welcomed the chance to have his younger son and grandchildren closer. Harry and Meghan will remain non-working royals under the arrangement agreed with the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2020.
Harry’s spokesperson and Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
Return follows years of tension
Harry and Meghan married at Windsor Castle in 2018. Two years later, they quit official duties after complaining about intense scrutiny from the British press.
They later settled in Montecito, California, where reports valued their 16-bedroom home at $14.7 million when they bought it in 2020.
Harry, now 41, and Meghan, 45, then criticised the royal family through television interviews, a Netflix documentary and Harry’s memoir, Spare.
In a 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, Meghan said an unnamed royal had raised concerns about how dark Archie’s skin might be. Prince William later denied that the royal family was racist.
Harry also challenged changes to his UK security arrangements. He argued that the lack of automatic police protection made bringing his children to Britain difficult.
Relations with King Charles show signs of thaw
Harry’s relationship with his father has recently improved. Father and son met in September for the first time in 20 months, according to Reuters.
Charles announced his cancer diagnosis in 2024. Last December, Buckingham Palace said he had responded “exceptionally well” to treatment.
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Harry, Meghan and their children visited Britain last month. Charles then saw Archie and Lilibet for the first time since 2022.
Relations with Prince William remain strained, however.
British minister Lucy Powell welcomed the reported move and told the BBC she hoped “the reconciliation with the family continues because I think that’s good for the country … to send out that signal”.
California media ventures delivered mixed results
Harry and Meghan built several media ventures from their California home. They signed multi-million-dollar deals with Spotify and Netflix, while Harry’s memoir became a bestseller.
Their Spotify podcast agreement later ended. Meghan’s Netflix lifestyle show also failed to secure a third season.
Meghan has recently shared more family photographs on Instagram. Many show Archie and Lilibet from behind, keeping their faces out of view.
Deadline executive editor Dominic Patten said, “I think they didn’t achieve the superstar status they wanted.”
“He and Meghan have kept that flame aflutter,” Patten added, arguing that they had still managed to maintain public interest in Hollywood.
