london —
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the UK on Wednesday, six years after stepping back from royal life and leaving the country, multiple media reported.
The country’s public broadcaster, the BBC, earlier reported that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, as well as their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are also believed to have entered the UK privately from California.
The Telegraph reported that the family landed at Birmingham Airport around noon on Wednesday. The family reportedly traveled on a Bombardier Global Express XRS luxury long-range business jet, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency.
A Sussex spokesperson declined to confirm the family’s current status when contacted by CNN.
It was revealed last week that the Sussexes had returned to the UK after living in the US for the past six years. Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, have already started school in England for the new term, which starts in September.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will return to the UK as private citizens and have no plans to resume royal duties on Charles III’s behalf.
The couple left Britain for North America in 2020 after stepping back from royal life, but the years since have seen the public fall out with the wider royal family. Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan cited tabloid intrusion, racism in British institutions, online abuse and complicated family relationships as reasons for their departure.
Prince Harry has visited the UK several times, including for the funeral of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the coronation of his father Charles III the following year.
The family recently returned to the UK over the summer to visit King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove, the monarch’s private residence in Gloucestershire, England. It was the first time in four years that the 77-year-old monarch was reunited with his grandchildren. The Sussexes also spent time with Prince Harry’s maternal family at Althorp House, the Spencer estate in Northamptonshire.
King Charles was only informed of the family’s move earlier this month. Prince William and Duchess Kate were also informed of the Sussexes’ plans.
When asked by CNN last week about the reason for their return, sources close to the couple said only about how much they enjoyed their family trip to the UK last month.
In the past, when Prince Harry returned to the UK, one of the issues was always the close police protection provided by his family. He has been fighting a years-long legal battle against the British government after his taxpayer-funded security was downgraded by the Royal Family and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) after he and Meghan ceased to act as representatives of the monarch. Since then, decisions have been made on a case-by-case basis.
Last year, he lost a challenge to the Home Office in the UK Court of Appeal over the decision. At the time, the duke said: “I cannot imagine a world in which he would be able to bring his wife and children back to the UK at this time.”
It is unclear whether security arrangements have changed in recent weeks or who will pay for the security needed once he returns to the UK. As of the end of June, he was still awaiting review by RAVEC’s risk management committee.
A British government spokesperson previously said the country’s protective security system was “rigorous and appropriate”.
See in photos: Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s royal romance
Separately in July, Prince Harry and six other celebrities lost a privacy case against a British tabloid publisher in the UK High Court. Last week, a judge ruled that the group, which also includes Elton John and his husband David Furnish, must make a down payment of 9.5 million pounds ($13 million) to Associated Newspapers Limited. However, the group faces legal costs reportedly totaling up to 34.5 million pounds (about $46.9 million).
According to British media, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are long-term settlers in the UK and will live in a private estate outside London. The two have not yet spoken publicly about their plans.
The duke is likely to perform charity work in the coming weeks, including an annual ceremony hosted by WellChild, a charity that cares for seriously ill children and young people in the UK. Preparations are also progressing for next year’s Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Meanwhile, Meghan’s latest Instagram posts suggest she will continue to grow her lifestyle business. Recently, there have been rumors that the Duchess may be aiming to return to acting. She is in talks to potentially appear in the third season of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, which will be filmed in the U.K., a person familiar with the ongoing negotiations previously told CNN.
