Prince Harry and Meghan are reportedly preparing to move back to the United Kingdom within weeks, six years after they stepped down as working royals and relocated to the United States. British outlets including The Telegraph and the BBC report the couple plan to leave by the end of the month for a private, non-royal residence outside London, and that their children, seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, have already been enrolled in a British school ahead of the September term.
A reunion six years in the making
The couple have lived in California since 2020, and by some accounts their children hadn't seen their grandfather, King Charles, since 2022. Reports say the 77-year-old king was told of the plan only days ago, and a statement said he welcomes the chance to see more of the family personally, though the couple's status won't change: they will remain non-working royals. The news follows a low-profile visit to the UK in early July, during which Harry and Meghan brought the children and met privately with the king.
The rift, and a slow attempt at repair
Harry and Meghan's 2020 departure came amid a bitter falling-out with the royal family, one that deepened with Harry's memoir Spare and the couple's interview with Oprah Winfrey. Harry has said he wants to reconcile with his father, who has been undergoing cancer treatment since a diagnosis two years ago of a type that's never been disclosed. It isn't clear whether Prince William, reportedly estranged from his brother, has been told of the move. Commentary around the return has also pointed to the couple's uneven run in America: their Netflix deal, once reported at roughly $100 million, produced projects that struggled to land, and a follow-up 2025 agreement with the streamer was a far looser first-look arrangement. The couple are expected to keep both their Montecito home and a house in Portugal.
A coincidence with Diana's story resurfacing
The reports emerged the same week Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, announced a memoir titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, due out in September and timed to the 30th anniversary of her death. Harry has long blamed the press for the 1997 Paris crash that killed his mother, and he and Meghan reportedly visited the Spencer family's Althorp estate, including Diana's grave, during their July trip.