Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are preparing for a major change in their family life: a return to the United Kingdom more than six years after stepping away from their roles as senior members of the royal family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to relocate to Britain with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, beginning this month. The move represents perhaps the most significant shift for the Sussex family since Harry and Meghan left royal duties and eventually settled in California in 2020.
Despite their return, Harry and Meghan are not expected to resume life as working royals.
The couple will continue operating as private individuals and are expected to live in a private, non-royal residence near London rather than on a royal estate. Their status within the monarchy will remain essentially the same as it has been since they stepped back from official duties.
The family also isn’t completely cutting ties with the United States. Reports indicate Harry and Meghan intend to retain their home in Montecito, California, as well as a residence in Portugal, giving the family connections on both sides of the Atlantic.
One of the clearest signs that the move is more than a short visit involves Archie and Lilibet. Both children are reportedly enrolled in schools in Britain and are expected to begin classes in September.
The move inevitably puts Harry’s complicated relationship with the royal family back in the spotlight.
King Charles III was informed of the family’s plans shortly before reports of the move became public. The king is said to welcome the opportunity to spend more time privately with Harry, Meghan and his grandchildren.
That follows another important development in the family’s relationship. Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet visited the U.K. last month and met with Charles and Queen Camilla. It was reportedly the first time the king and queen had seen Meghan and the Sussex children since 2022.
The return could therefore provide more opportunities for Harry to rebuild his relationship with his father.
His relationship with his brother may prove more complicated.
Harry and Prince William have remained estranged following years of public tension surrounding the Sussexes’ departure from royal life and Harry’s subsequent interviews, documentary appearances and memoir. There has been no indication that the move automatically signals a reconciliation between the brothers.
Another unresolved issue is security.
Harry has repeatedly raised concerns about bringing his wife and children to Britain without the level of police protection he once received as a working royal. In 2025, he lost an appeal challenging changes to his publicly funded security arrangements following his departure from official royal duties.
Details about how the family will be protected after returning have not been publicly disclosed.
The issue is particularly notable because Harry previously suggested that security concerns made bringing his family back to Britain difficult. His willingness to relocate now signals that the Sussexes may have found a way to make an extended stay workable, even if the details remain private.
The Sussexes spent much of the past six years building a separate identity in the United States through media projects, charitable initiatives and business ventures. Their return now creates an unusual situation in which one of the world’s most recognizable royal couples will once again live close to the monarchy without formally working for it.
For Archie and Lilibet, the move also means growing up with a much closer connection to their father’s home country and extended family.
For Harry, it provides an opportunity to reconnect with Britain after years of legal disputes, family disagreements and public criticism.
And for the royal family, the Sussexes’ return creates both opportunities and complications. Greater proximity could make reconciliation easier, particularly between Harry and his father. At the same time, longstanding tensions within the family have not disappeared simply because the Sussexes are crossing the Atlantic.
Six years after their dramatic departure reshaped the modern royal family, Harry and Meghan are heading back to Britain.
This time, however, they are returning not as senior working royals, but as a family attempting to build a private life alongside — rather than inside — the monarchy.
