A reported family move would put the Duke and Duchess of Sussex closer to King Charles after years of strained relations. But neither Buckingham Palace nor the couple’s representatives had confirmed the plan publicly.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are reportedly moving back to the United Kingdom with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, six years after leaving senior royal duties and relocating to California. Reports say the family could relocate this month, with the children expected to start school in the U.K. in September, amid long-running tensions with the royal family.
The potential return would be a striking shift for Harry and Meghan, who built a new life in Montecito after their 2020 departure. It may also signal a more practical kind of reconciliation after the children reportedly met King Charles and Queen Camilla in July—though a move has not been publicly confirmed by the couple or Buckingham Palace.
What the reports actually say
People and The Telegraph reported that Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet plan to base themselves in Britain again. USA TODAY, citing those reports, said the family would keep homes in Portugal and Montecito, California rather than make a clean break from the United States.
That distinction matters. A return to the United Kingdom could mean a family home and school routine in Britain without restoring the Sussexes to their former positions as working royals or ending their American business and media ties.
USA TODAY said it sought comment from the palace and from Harry and Meghan’s representatives. Without a public statement from either, key details—including the family’s precise home, the duration of the arrangement and travel plans—remain unclear.
School makes this more concrete
The reported plan for Archie and Lilibet to begin school in the U.K. gives the story a practical dimension beyond occasional royal visits. School enrollment would suggest an attempt to establish a regular family base, at least for part of the year.
Archie was born in the U.K. in 2019 and is sixth in the line of succession. Lilibet was born in the United States in 2021. Both children have largely been raised outside Britain since Harry and Meghan moved to California.
For the children, a U.K. move could create more consistent access to their paternal grandfather and to the country their father grew up in. It would not automatically mean regular public appearances or royal duties, however. Harry and Meghan have strongly protected their children’s privacy.
A recent meeting changed the picture
The reported relocation follows a family gathering at Highgrove, King Charles and Queen Camilla’s private Gloucestershire residence. Buckingham Palace confirmed to the BBC in early July that Charles and Camilla had spent time with Harry, Meghan and their children.
According to USA TODAY, it was the King’s first time seeing his grandchildren in four years. Meghan’s last U.K. visit before the recent trip had been for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.
That meeting does not erase years of public and private disagreement. Still, it offered a rare indication that direct contact between the Sussexes and the King had resumed. A family move would make that tentative reconnection much more consequential.
The royal rift has deep roots
Harry and Meghan married at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor in May 2018 and spent nearly two years carrying out royal duties in Britain. In 2020, they stepped back as senior working royals and moved to North America, saying they wanted to become financially independent.
Disputes have played out publicly ever since. In their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple alleged racism in the royal family and said Meghan did not receive sufficient support during a period of serious mental-health distress. Buckingham Palace responded at the time that recollections could vary, while saying the issues raised would be addressed privately.
Harry later detailed his strained relationship with Prince William and his father in his memoir, Spare. The brothers have appeared together only sparingly in recent years, and there has been no public indication that a reported move would repair that relationship.
That is why the story carries competing interpretations. Supporters may see a return as an opening for the children to know more of their family. Skeptics may question whether living nearer to the monarchy can work while the underlying conflicts remain unsettled.
Security remains the major question
A U.K. base would revive the most difficult logistical issue surrounding the Sussexes: protection. After Harry stopped being a working royal, he and his immediate family were no longer entitled to the same taxpayer-funded police security that accompanies working members of the royal family.
Harry has repeatedly argued that he cannot safely bring Meghan and their children to Britain without adequate security arrangements. The issue was highlighted again during a recent U.K. visit, when Meghan did not join him for the London portion of the trip, according to USA TODAY.
Any sustained relocation would therefore require a workable approach to security, privacy and travel. Reports have not established whether any arrangement has changed, whether the family would fund private protection, or how much time they expect to spend at their other homes.
A return would not reset royal roles
Even if the family settles in Britain, Harry and Meghan would not automatically resume official engagements, public funding or the institutional role they held before 2020. The reported plan points to a family decision, not a confirmed change in their status within the monarchy.
The more immediate measure of its significance will be whether it leads to sustained private contact with King Charles and greater stability for Archie and Lilibet. Relations with Prince William, Meghan’s public role in Britain and the security framework are still open questions.
For now, the core claim remains a report rather than an announcement. If confirmed, Harry and Meghan’s return with their children would mark their biggest geographic shift since leaving the U.K.—and a new chapter in a family story that has never been only about distance.
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