Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are set to return to the United Kingdom along with their children, as confirmed by Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The decision to move back was initially reported by The Telegraph and The Sun. The royal couple will be relocating with their two children, Prince Archie, aged 7, and Princess Lilibet, aged 5, to live as private individuals, according to the Palace statement. While the exact timing of their return was not officially disclosed, media sources suggest it will be in time for the children to commence school in September.
Harry and Meghan withdrew from their full-time royal duties and departed the U.K. in March 2020. Subsequently, they settled in California after a brief stay in Canada later that same month. Their departure from the royal life was prompted by their public criticisms of the monarchy and the Royal Family, leading to strained relationships. Particularly, Harry’s pointed remarks about his father and elder brother, Prince William, caused a significant rift.
During an interview on The Late, Late Show with James Corden in February 2021, Harry expressed the challenging circumstances they faced within the royal environment and his determination to prioritize his family’s well-being. He also shared his discontent over changes in his security arrangements by the British government, which affected his ability to bring his children to the U.K. Despite these challenges, Harry emphasized that he never intended to abandon his responsibilities.
In a separate development, Harry was involved in a privacy lawsuit against The Daily Mail’s publisher, which he lost in July. The lawsuit alleged intrusive and unlawful behavior by the media outlet towards Meghan. Following the verdict, Harry criticized the court’s decision, labeling it as biased and unjust.
Relations between Harry and his father, King Charles, seemed to improve last September when they met for the first time in nearly two years. The family recently visited Britain in July, where King Charles met his grandchildren for the first time since 2022. The Palace confirmed that the King supports Harry and Meghan’s decision to relocate and looks forward to spending more private time with the Sussex family. King Charles, who battled cancer in early 2024, responded well to treatment, prompting a shift to a precautionary phase in December of the same year.
