Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are preparing to move back to the United Kingdom later this month, in a surprise return that could mark a new chapter for the couple and their relationship with the Royal Family.
The couple plans to relocate from the United States to a private, non-royal residence outside London, according to reports. Their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are expected to begin attending a British school in September.
King Charles III was informed of the planned move on Sunday. However, there are no plans for Harry or Meghan to resume their duties as working members of the Royal Family. They will continue to live as private citizens.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have also been informed of the couple’s plans.
The move comes more than six years after Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and left the UK in early 2020 before settling in California.
Although Harry, Meghan and their children visited King Charles at his Highgrove home in Gloucestershire in July, the planned relocation was reportedly not discussed during that meeting.
The King was said to have been unaware of the move until last weekend. However, he is understood to welcome the opportunity to spend more time with his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren in a private family setting.
The July meeting was particularly significant because it was the first time Charles had seen Archie and Lilibet in person in more than four years.
Harry and Meghan had not visited the UK together since 2022, when they returned for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Security arrangements are likely to remain one of the key questions surrounding the Sussexes’ return.
Harry has previously argued that concerns about his family’s safety have made him reluctant to bring Meghan and their children to Britain.
Last year, he lost a legal challenge against a decision to reduce the level of security provided to him and his family after he ceased to be a working royal and moved to the US.
It remains unclear what security arrangements will be put in place when the family returns.
The Home Office said decisions concerning royal security are made by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as Ravec, within what it described as a rigorous and proportionate protective security system.
The decision to enrol Archie and Lilibet in a British school is being seen as one of the strongest indications that the family’s return could be more than a temporary stay.
Royal commentator Robert Hardman said the children’s education suggested they could be raised with a stronger British connection rather than primarily as Americans.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell also welcomed the move, describing the children’s enrolment as a positive endorsement of Britain’s education system, although she acknowledged that they were unlikely to attend a local state school.
The Sussexes’ decision has reportedly caught even senior figures close to the Royal Family by surprise.
David Wiseman, chief programmes and strategy officer at the Invictus Games Foundation, said Harry had hinted during his July visit that he missed Britain, although he did not realise at the time that the Duke was considering a permanent move.
He described the development as “excellent news” and said he hoped the family would settle into their new life smoothly.
Former Queen Elizabeth II press secretary Ailsa Anderson said the return could raise fresh questions about Harry’s relationship with his brother, Prince William, as well as the couple’s security arrangements and relationship with the British media.
Harry and William have reportedly had limited contact in recent years, with their last major public family gathering together being Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
Harry’s recent visit to the UK, including a trip to Althorp House, the childhood home of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, may also have influenced his thinking about returning.
For now, the Sussexes have not publicly commented on the move. But with their children’s schooling already arranged and a private home reportedly secured, their return to Britain appears set to become a significant new chapter in the long-running story of Harry, Meghan and the Royal Family.
