Harry and Meghan plan UK return as family reunites

Highlights

• Harry and Meghan reportedly plan to settle in a private home outside London.
• Their children are said to have been enrolled at a British school.
• King Charles has reportedly welcomed the chance to see more of his family.
• The couple will remain non-working royals and keep their US home.

PRINCE HARRY and Meghan are reportedly preparing to bring their family back to Britain, opening the door to more time together with King Charles after years of distance.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex plan to leave the United States by the end of August and settle in a private, non-royal home outside London, according to reports in the British media.

Their return would mark a major change for the family, six years after Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to North America.

Several British news outlets, including the BBC, reported that their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already been enrolled at a British school for the new school year in September.

The family is said to have chosen a new home, but it will not be one of the royal residences.

Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, have lived in California since 2020. Their children have spent most of their lives in the United States and had not seen their grandfather in person since 2022 until the family's private meeting with Charles during their UK visit in July.

King was told about the plans

The Press Association reported that the King, 77, was told on Sunday (16) about the couple's plans.

Charles "welcomes the opportunity to see more of the family in a personal capacity", PA reported, while making clear that there would be no change to Harry and Meghan's status. They would continue to be non-working members of the royal family.

The reported move comes after years of tension between Harry and his family following the couple's departure from royal duties.

Their relationship with the royal family became more strained after Harry's memoir, Spare, and the couple's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they made a series of claims about their experiences within the royal family.

FILE PHOTO: British Royal Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997), wearing a blue jacket over a black dress, with Eton housemaster Dr Andrew Gailey, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles outside Manor House on Prince William's first day at Eton College in Eton, Berkshire, England, 6th September 1995. (Photo by Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Yet Harry has also spoken openly about wanting to rebuild his relationship with his father.

The reported return follows a private meeting between Harry and Charles during the Sussexes' visit to Britain in early July. Harry has previously said he wanted to reconcile with his father, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and has continued to receive treatment. The type of cancer has not been made public.

Harry had previously said he did not feel able to bring his family safely to Britain after losing a legal challenge over government-funded police protection.

"I can’t 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.

An extraordinary development

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams described the reported move as an "extraordinary development".

The couple are expected to keep their home in Montecito, California, as well as a property in Portugal where they are believed to have spent time this summer.

Their reported return comes amid signs that Harry is seeking a closer connection with Britain and his family. In July, he travelled to the UK with Meghan and their children and met Charles privately.

It remains unclear whether Harry's elder brother, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have been told about the plans. The brothers have become estranged and reportedly have little contact.

The news also comes as Harry's uncle, Charles Spencer, prepares to publish a book about his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Swan Song: Diana, My Sister will be published in Britain and other countries on September 22 and translated into 12 languages.

Spencer, 62, said he had decided to write the book after receiving repeated interview requests about Diana ahead of the 30th anniversary of her death.

He said he wanted to record his own memories because some views about his sister had become accepted despite being based on what he called "untruths".

Spencer has remained close to his nephews. Harry and Meghan, along with their children, reportedly visited the Spencer family's ancestral home at Althorp in central England during their July trip and were said to have visited Diana's grave.