Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to move back to the United Kingdom six years after stepping down from royal duties.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will return with their seven-year-old son, Archie, and five-year-old daughter, Lilibet. According to reports published by the BBC and The Sun, the family plans to settle for an extended period in a private residence outside London that does not belong to the Crown.
The relocation marks a new chapter for the couple following years of public tension, high-profile interviews, lawsuits, and commercial ventures in the United States. Prince Harry stated that the move is intended to give their children a sense of belonging to their roots and history.
Royal response and schooling plans
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana will begin their school term in the United Kingdom in September. King Charles III has already been informed of the decision and reportedly welcomed the news with satisfaction at the prospect of spending more time with his grandchildren.
The move does not signal a return to official royal duties. The Sussexes will remain members of the royal family without working roles and will not receive public funding for their activities.
The relocation follows a brief meeting during the summer of 2026, when Harry and Meghan brought their children to the United Kingdom and met with King Charles III at Highgrove Castle. Prince Harry had previously expressed a desire in 2025 to rebuild ties with his family.
Wedding and early royal life
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married on May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Their wedding was widely viewed as a modernizing moment for the monarchy as it sought to connect with younger and more diverse audiences.
Meghan, a divorced American actress known for her role in the television series Suits, was born to a Black mother and a white father. Harry was long regarded as one of Britain's most eligible bachelors.
The wedding was preceded by media scrutiny and family drama. Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, did not attend the ceremony following a controversy over staged photographs with paparazzi, after which he publicly aired his differences with his daughter.
Following the nuptials, press coverage became intensely divided. Comparisons between the Sussexes and Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, grew increasingly prominent alongside debates over their respective roles within the institution.
On May 6, 2019, the couple welcomed their first child, Archie. Tensions between the Sussexes and the royal household escalated as Harry expressed growing concern over the media's treatment of Meghan, leading the couple to seek greater control over their private life and press relations.
Departure and commercial deals
On January 8, 2020, Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back as senior working members of the royal family and work toward financial independence in an exit dubbed Megxit by the press.
As part of the agreement, the couple surrendered their official royal duties, ceased using their His and Her Royal Highness titles, and gave up public funding. After a brief period in Canada, they relocated to California and purchased a home in Montecito in June 2020.
In the United States, the couple launched commercial ventures under their Archewell banner. Archewell Productions signed a deal with Netflix, while Archewell Audio secured a multi-million dollar podcasting contract with Spotify.
The couple's second child, Lilibet Diana, was born in California on June 4, 2021. That same year marked a deep rift with the royal family following an interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which Meghan stated she experienced severe mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts while serving as a working royal.
Meghan also revealed that members of the royal family had held discussions regarding Archie's potential skin tone prior to his birth.
Media projects and memoirs
In 2022, Harry and Meghan returned briefly to the United Kingdom to attend the Platinum Jubilee of Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Later that year, Netflix released the docuseries Harry & Meghan, which achieved 23.4 million views in its first four days and reached the top 10 in 85 countries, though it renewed strain on family relations.
In January 2023, Prince Harry published his memoir, Spare, detailing intimate family conflicts, including a breakdown in his relationship with his brother, Prince William. Later that year, Harry attended the coronation of King Charles III in London without Meghan.
The couple's business ventures faced mixed outcomes. In June 2023, Spotify and Archewell Audio ended their partnership by mutual agreement after a single season of Meghan's podcast, Archetypes. However, Netflix extended its creative partnership with Archewell Productions in August 2025, producing projects such as With Love, Meghan and Live to Lead.
Legal battles and future outlook
In recent years, Prince Harry focused much of his work on veteran initiatives and the Invictus Games, while Meghan pursued lifestyle and business projects. Harry also pursued extensive legal actions in the United Kingdom regarding his police protection and press intrusion.
In 2023, Harry won a High Court ruling against Mirror Group Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mirror, over phone hacking and unlawful information gathering. In January 2025, he settled a case against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun and the former News of the World. However, in July 2026, Harry and co-claimants suffered a setback when they lost a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
Six years after leaving the United Kingdom, observers and media outlets remain divided on whether this move will lead to lasting reconciliation with the royal family or establish a new private life in Britain.
