Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the UK with their two children days after revealing plans to leave the United States for an extended spell.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet joined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their trip to Britain Wednesday, Aug. 26, marking a big turnaround for the family six years after Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties and went to the United States.
The family is believed to have flown into Birmingham International Airport on a private flight from California and are anticipated to move into a private property outside London that is not royal. The particular site has not been released due to security considerations.
The couple’s decision to go back to Britain with their children was an unexpected announcement last week. Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, will start school in the UK in September.
Despite the move, Harry and Meghan are not returning as working members of the Royal Family. They will be non-working royals and are not anticipated to resume official royal duties.
The move is not a full break with their life outside Britain, as the Sussexes will also keep their California home in Montecito and their Portuguese property.
The ruling has revived focus on Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles III, and the entire Royal Family.
Harry and Charles’ relationship has improved somewhat in the past few months. The King recently saw Archie and Lilibet in Britain for the first time since 2022, and Harry has regularly spoken about his wish to spend more time with his father and mend their relationship.
However, Harry’s relationship with his older brother, Prince William, remains tense. The Sussexes’ public critiques of the Royal Family, Meghan’s accusations about her treatment within the institution and Harry’s memoir, Spare, have fuelled the ongoing schism.
Harry’s security arrangements will likely also be a key issue. His taxpayer-funded police protection was withdrawn when he stopped being a working royal, sparking a long court dispute over his security when in Britain.
The move is also expected to allow Harry more access to his UK based humanitarian interests including work related with children’s welfare, veterans and the Invictus community. Meghan is anticipated to continue her business pursuits, including her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
The homecoming signals the Sussexes’ biggest step back to living in Britain since leaving in 2020. But their physical distance from the Royal Family has diminished, even if the pair have made plain they are coming back on their own terms rather than seeking a formal return to royal duties.
For now, the family’s homecoming marks the start of a new chapter; one that could draw Harry closer to his father but also put the Sussexes back in the spotlight of intense public and media attention in Britain.
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