Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are returning to the United Kingdom with their children, as confirmed by Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The Telegraph and The Sun were the first to report this news. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, will be relocating to the UK but will maintain their status as private citizens, according to the Palace. Although the exact date of their return was not disclosed, media sources suggest it will be in time for the children to commence school in September.
In March 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as full-time royals and left the UK. Shortly after, they settled in California following a brief stay in Canada. The decision to move back to the UK comes amidst strained relations with the Royal Family, stemming from the couple’s public criticisms of the monarchy and the family itself. Harry’s remarks, particularly directed towards his father and elder brother Prince William, led to a significant rift in their relationship.
During an interview on The Late, Late Show with James Corden in February 2021, Harry expressed the challenging circumstances that prompted their decision to leave. He highlighted concerns over security arrangements being altered by the British government, which affected their ability to bring their children to the UK. Despite these challenges, Harry emphasized that he never intended to “walk away.”
In a legal battle, Harry was one of several prominent figures who recently lost privacy lawsuits against the publisher of The Daily Mail in July. He testified about the distress caused to Meghan by the newspaper, labeling her experience as “an absolute misery.” Following the lawsuit outcome, Harry criticized the court’s decision as a “whitewash” and expressed disappointment in the ruling.
There appears to be a thaw in relations between Harry and his father, King Charles, as they reunited in September after a 20-month separation. The entire family visited Britain in July, where King Charles met his grandchildren for the first time since 2022. The King was informed of Harry’s plans to relocate the family and welcomed the opportunity to spend more time with them in a private setting.
King Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer in early 2024, responded well to treatment, prompting a shift to a precautionary phase in December of the same year. Buckingham Palace confirmed that the King’s health was progressing positively.