Harry and Meghan to Move Back to UK After Six Years in California.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to move back to the United Kingdom with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in a decision that could mark the biggest change in the Sussexes' lives since they stepped away from royal duties in 2020.

The couple are expected to relocate from California later this month and settle in a private, non-royal residence outside London. Their children are also expected to begin attending a British school in September. The plans were first reported by British newspapers and subsequently confirmed by multiple international outlets, including the BBC and Reuters.

The move does not represent a return to official royal duties. Harry and Meghan are expected to remain non-working members of the Royal Family and will not resume their former roles representing the monarchy. They are also expected to retain their homes in California and Portugal, meaning the UK move appears to be an extended relocation rather than a complete abandonment of their life overseas.

The decision comes more than six years after the couple announced that they would step back as senior working royals. They subsequently moved to California, where they pursued commercial and media projects through their production company Archewell, including a Netflix documentary series, while Harry also published his memoir Spare.

Their departure was followed by a prolonged and highly publicised breakdown in relations with sections of the Royal Family and the British press. Harry and Meghan made a series of public claims about their experiences within the monarchy, while Harry became involved in several legal battles over press intrusion and his security arrangements in Britain.

Relations with the Royal Family have nevertheless shown some signs of movement in recent months. In July, Harry, Meghan and their children visited King Charles at Highgrove, marking the first reported meeting between the King and his grandchildren since 2022. The visit came as Harry continued to express a desire to repair his relationship with his father.

The situation with Prince William remains considerably more difficult. Reports indicate that the brothers have not yet restored their relationship, despite the Sussexes' planned return bringing the families geographically closer together. The move could create more opportunities for private contact, but there is no indication that a full reconciliation between the brothers has been agreed.

Security is likely to remain one of the most sensitive issues surrounding the return. Harry previously challenged the decision to reduce his automatic access to taxpayer-funded police protection after he ceased to be a working royal and lost that legal challenge. With the family now preparing to spend significantly more time in Britain, authorities are reassessing what level of protection may be appropriate. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said questions about how their security is funded are a private matter.

The family's return is also attracting attention because it comes at a complicated moment for the Sussexes' public and commercial lives. Meghan is expected to continue developing her lifestyle business from Britain, while Harry has maintained his charitable interests and involvement with the Invictus Games. Meghan has also recently been linked to a possible acting project, although reports about a role in Netflix's The Gentlemen remain unconfirmed and neither she nor Netflix has announced a casting deal.

For the children, however, the move represents something more straightforward: growing up with a closer connection to their father's country and extended family. Their enrolment at a British school means they are likely to spend substantially more time in the UK than they have since the family moved to California.

The return is unlikely to erase the disputes of the past. Harry's relationship with the British press remains deeply strained, while his legal battles and the family's decision to live independently of the monarchy have left lasting divisions. Their arrival will almost certainly attract intense media attention, particularly because the couple have spent years publicly discussing their experiences inside the Royal Family.

But the significance of the move lies precisely in its uncertainty. Harry and Meghan are not returning as working royals, and there is no announced plan for them to resume official duties. They are instead bringing their family closer to the institution they left while attempting to maintain an independent life. Whether that proximity eventually leads to a deeper family reconciliation or simply creates a more complicated coexistence will be one of the most closely watched developments in the Royal Family's next chapter.