Prince Harry and Meghan Are Said to Be Moving Back to the UK
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are planning to move back to the United Kingdom within weeks, according to multiple British media reports late Wednesday — a surprise turn that would bring them closer to the royal family six years after they stepped away from royal duties.
The Telegraph reported that Harry and Meghan intend to leave the United States by the end of the month and settle in a private, non-royal residence believed to be outside London. The BBC and several other outlets said their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already been enrolled in a British school for the start of the academic year in early September.
The reports said the couple had chosen a new house, but it would not be one of the royal residences. The Press Association said King Charles III was told on Sunday that his younger son and daughter-in-law planned to return to live in the UK. PA said the 77-year-old monarch welcomes the opportunity to see more of the family in a personal capacity, but their status would not change and they would still not be working royals.
Harry and Meghan have been based in California since 2020, when they stepped back and moved to North America after a bitter feud with the royal family. The rift deepened after Harry's tell-all memoir "Spare" and a no-holds-barred interview with Oprah Winfrey. Their children had not seen their grandfather since 2022, according to earlier reports.
Security has been a central issue. Harry has said he does not feel safe bringing his family to Britain after losing a court challenge over government-funded police protection. "It's impossible for me to take my family back to the UK safely," he said last year after the ruling. A Home Office spokesperson said Britain's protective security system was "rigorous and proportionate," with decisions made by a committee that includes the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and the royal household.
The news broke just weeks after Harry and Meghan made a short visit to Britain with their children in early July and held a private meeting with Charles. Harry said last year that he hoped to reconcile with his father, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and has been receiving treatment since; the type of cancer has never been disclosed.
It was not immediately clear whether Harry's older brother, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine, had been informed of the plans. The two brothers have become estranged and reportedly no longer talk.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News that the move would be "an extraordinary development." He added: "My first thought frankly is... they failed to make it in the US... essentially they failed to be A-listers in Hollywood."
The couple's commercial ventures in the U.S. have had mixed results. They signed a mega deal with Netflix in 2020 reportedly worth an unconfirmed $100 million, but many of their projects have struggled to win over audiences. In August 2025, they signed a looser arrangement with the streaming giant, described as a "multi-year, first look deal."
The Sun reported that the couple would keep their Montecito home in California, as well as a house in Portugal where they are believed to have spent part of the summer. The run-up to Harry's July visit was already marked by setbacks: media outlets cited sources close to him saying he would stay at Buckingham Palace, only for the palace to issue a denial.
The report of their return also came the day after Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, announced a book about his sister's life. Swan Song: Diana, My Sister will be published in Britain and other countries on September 22 and translated into 12 languages. "With the 30th anniversary of Diana's tragic death on the horizon, I've been inundated yet again with requests for interviews about my sister," Spencer said. He said the requests had convinced him "to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all," adding that many opinions were "based on untruths that have become accepted over time."
Harry has long blamed the media for the death of his mother, who was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 while trying to shake off the paparazzi. Spencer, 62, has remained close to both of his nephews, and Harry and Meghan and their children reportedly visited the earl's ancestral home at Althorp in early July, where they were said to have visited Diana's grave.
If the move goes ahead, it would be the most visible sign of a thaw in relations since the Sussexes left Britain, even though it would not restore them to official royal duties. It also raises practical questions about their U.S.-based business operations and how they will navigate the intense media scrutiny that helped push them away.