Prince Harry and Meghan are coming back to Britain, but they’re not returning as royals

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning to establish a home base in the United Kingdom with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet after living in California since 2020. The family is expected to stay in a private, non-royal residence outside London while retaining their Montecito, California, home.

Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are expected to begin school in the United Kingdom in September. King Charles III was reportedly informed of the plans before the reports became public. Harry and Meghan will remain non-working members of the royal family.

The family reunited with King Charles in July

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not maintained a full-time home base in Britain since stepping back from royal duties in 2020. Their reported UK relocation plans followed a family visit to Britain in July 2026.

Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet reportedly met King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire in July 2026. Reports said the meeting marked a significant family reunion after several years apart.

The July meeting occurred before reports emerged that the Sussex family planned to establish a UK home base. The reported move would allow the family to spend more time in Britain.

Archie and Lilibet are expected to attend school in Britain

Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are expected to begin attending school in the United Kingdom in September as their family establishes a British home base.

The move would mark the first time the children are expected to attend school in Britain. Details about their school location and daily routines have not been publicly disclosed.

The family is expected to maintain connections to California while establishing a UK residence.

King Charles learned of the plan days before reports emerged

King Charles III was reportedly informed of Harry and Meghan’s relocation plans on Sunday, August 16, several days before news of the move became public.

The King is said to welcome the opportunity to spend more time with Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in a private capacity. The move will not see Harry and Meghan resume their former roles as working members of the royal family.

Buckingham Palace and representatives for Harry and Meghan have declined to publicly comment on the family’s relocation plans.

6 years since stepping back from royal duties

Harry and Meghan stepped back as working members of the royal family in 2020. They subsequently relocated to California and settled in Montecito in Santa Barbara County.

From California, the couple pursued media and commercial projects, including programming for Netflix, while Harry published his memoir, Spare. Harry also continued making periodic visits to the United Kingdom.

The family’s latest move differs from those visits because Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet plan to establish a British home base for an extended period while retaining their California residence.

Fun fact: At birth, Archie could have used his father’s subsidiary title, Earl of Dumbarton, as a courtesy title, but Harry and Meghan chose not to use a courtesy title for him.

The Sussex family’s California home base

Harry and Meghan settled in Montecito, California, in 2020 after stepping back as working members of the royal family. They established their family home there and pursued media and commercial projects while living in California.

Current reports say the couple plans to retain their Montecito property while establishing a private home base in Britain. Harry has continued to make periodic visits to the United Kingdom during the family’s years in California.

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are expected to spend significantly more time in their father’s home country as the family establishes its British home base.

The family plans to live outside London

Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are expected to live in a private, non-royal residence outside London. The exact location has not been publicly disclosed. Sources say the property is not a royal residence.

Current reporting describes the family’s return as an extended stay and says the Sussexes will establish a British home base while retaining their homes in Montecito, California, and Portugal. The exact location of the residence has not been publicly disclosed.

No public end date for the family’s stay in Britain has been announced. Some reports describe it as an extended stay rather than a permanent move. No public end date for the family’s stay in Britain has been announced.

Security arrangements have not been disclosed

Prince Harry has repeatedly raised concerns about security for himself and his family in the United Kingdom. After he stopped being a working royal, he no longer received the same automatic publicly funded police protection and later challenged the security arrangements through the courts.

The Court of Appeal dismissed his challenge in May 2025. Ahead of the family’s July 2026 visit, Harry’s request for taxpayer-funded police protection throughout the trip was also rejected.

Security arrangements for the family’s upcoming move have not been publicly disclosed. Officials generally do not provide operational details about individual protection arrangements.

Little-known fact: Lilibet’s middle name, Diana, honors her late grandmother, Princess Diana.

TL;DR

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan to move back to the UK after 6 years in California.
• Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are expected to begin school in Britain in September.
• King Charles was told of the plan just days before it became public.
• The move follows a July visit where Charles reunited with the whole family at Highgrove House.
• Security details and the exact new home location have not been confirmed.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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