london —
The impending return of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was splashed across the front pages of British newspapers on Thursday, as Britons woke up to the surprising news that they were returning home after six years in the United States.
The Sussexes will live in a private mansion on the outskirts of London, and their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are already enrolled in British schools.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s sudden return will no doubt spark frenzied speculation in Britain, where the Windsor family drama routinely captivates the nation.
The move, which is expected to take place in just a few days, feels sudden, but the couple has likely been mulling it over for some time. The final decision may have only recently been made, but with the new school year starting in early September in the UK, the royal family will likely want to reconcile with their children as soon as possible.
It now appears that catching up with King Charles and Queen Camilla last month may have been pivotal in the couple’s decision to return across the Atlantic. The meeting at Highgrove, the king’s private residence in Gloucestershire, England, marked a significant moment for the 77-year-old monarch to reunite with her grandchildren for the first time in four years.
Meghan and her children joined Prince Harry on his visit to the UK at the end of a tour in July that centered around his participation in next year’s Invictus Games. During their trip, they also visited Althorp House, the ancestral home where Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, is buried.
When asked about the reason for the couple’s return, a source close to the couple said only how much they enjoyed their family visit to the UK last month.
Even though the details of the family’s impending relocation were revealed, one rather important factor was not immediately addressed: their safety.
Their police protection during taxpayer-funded visits to the country has been a source of controversy for years. Indeed, this was why Prince Harry made the 11th-hour decision not to bring his wife and children to his official engagement in London last month, as he had originally planned.
Prince Harry, fifth in line to the British throne, has been embroiled in a long-running dispute with the British government after his security was downgraded by the Royal Family and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) when he and Duchess Meghan stepped down from royal duties.
But so far, the British state is unwilling to budge.
Last year, Prince Harry told the BBC: “I can’t imagine a world in which I would be able to bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.” His comments came as Britain lost a challenge in the UK Court of Appeal against the Home Office over security arrangements. As of the end of June, he was still awaiting review by RAVEC’s risk management committee.
It was not immediately clear whether they had found a solution with the Interior Ministry or who would pay for the necessary security upon their return. A British government spokesperson previously said the country’s protective security system was “rigorous and appropriate”.
Relations between Prince Harry and Meghan and the wider royal family have been strained for years. The couple left Britain in 2020, quit their jobs as working royals, and set up a new base in Montecito, an upscale coastal California town, with the aim of achieving financial independence. The rift has widened further in the wake of the couple’s explosive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, a Netflix documentary series, and Prince Harry’s revealing memoir.
CNN understands that King Charles was informed of the move over the weekend, suggesting the sudden move was not discussed when Prince Harry met his father a few weeks ago. In any case, the king is said to welcome the chance to meet the Sussexes more often.
The relationship between father and son seems to have improved in recent years. Prince Harry rushed home after King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, and the pair are reportedly speaking more often these days.
This is not the case with his older brother Prince William, with whom he remains estranged. He and his wife, Duchess Kate, have also been informed of Harry and Meghan’s plans. There has been no comment yet from the Prince or Princess of Wales.
Years after his father was diagnosed with cancer, Prince William has been forced to take a more prominent position as heir to the throne. Charles is currently undergoing treatment, but in December he gave a rare update and revealed that he was responding well to treatment.
But the group, once dubbed the “Fab Four” by the British press, came together for a joint walk in Windsor after Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022. A year earlier, on what would have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday, the brothers unveiled a monument in their mother’s honor. It remains to be seen whether the once-close brothers will decide to put their differences aside as they approach the 30th anniversary of their mother’s death next year.
All we know is that it’s not the capital of England. Beyond that, the exact location of their new home has not been revealed. This property is likely to reflect your status as a member of the royal family and must be secure.
Given the Sussexes’ close ties to their mother’s family, it is possible they may choose to live close to Spencer’s home in Northamptonshire. Another option would be the Cotswolds, a rich countryside in central England. The couple are in close contact with friends who have family in the UK, so they may want to set down roots closer to them.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will not be returning to their previous duties as frontline royals when they return home across the Atlantic. The royal institutions have long made clear that the “half in, half out” approach previously proposed by the Sussexes was not a viable solution and that they would no longer serve as public servants once the deal was settled.
But their move will leave many Brits wondering if that could change in the future. After all, their departure six years ago was seen as a loss for a monarchy with a natural ability to connect with younger generations.
Any work they undertake is for personal charity projects or other purposes that take up a lot of their time.
Prince Harry was already scheduled to travel to the UK next month to attend an annual ceremony hosted by WellChild, a charity that cares for seriously ill children and young people in the UK. Harry is also looking forward to next year’s Invictus Games in Birmingham. Meanwhile, Duchess Meghan has her own ‘As Ever’ lifestyle brand, and perhaps wants to expand it outside the US.
It is not yet clear how closely the royal family and the Sussexes will coordinate over the engagement to avoid conflict and diverting public attention to a cause that all members of the royal family wish to promote.
Another aspect for King Charles and Prince William to consider is whether to include the Sussexes in private family events, such as Easter in Windsor and Christmas in Sandringham. Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan may not be working royals, but they are still prominent members of the family, while Prince Harry maintains his place in the British throne.
