Prince Harry and Meghan’s Reported UK Move Comes as Their Relationship With the Royals Remains Complicated

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be heading back to Britain, but this is hardly a simple homecoming. After years of family fallout, public revelations and a life built thousands of miles away, their reported return raises one big question: what changed?

According to The Sun’s report on the Sussexes’ UK plans, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are expected to return to Britain at the end of August 2026 with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The children are expected to attend school in Britain, with the family remaining in the country while they are in education. The move would mark a significant change for a couple who established their life in California after stepping back as senior working royals in 2020.

Amid the news, Harry has already been seen in public for the first time since reports of the planned move emerged. He appeared in Washington, D.C., for a roundtable focused on support for veterans and, according to HELLO! Magazine, seemed in good spirits.

Harry did not publicly address the reported move during the event, instead focusing on his work supporting veterans.

The Sussexes Are Coming Back but Not as Working Royals

Harry and Meghan are reportedly set to live in a private, non-royal residence rather than a royal property. They are also expected to continue their business interests rather than resume official duties as working members of the Royal Family.

The arrangement raises questions about the future of the 2020 Sandringham Agreement, which set out the terms of their departure from royal life and addressed their wish to pursue private-sector work.

The Sun reported that Harry would not receive public money while living in Britain and would not undertake official royal duties. Any discussion about a possible future role would instead have to happen between Harry and his father, King Charles.

The timing is particularly striking because Harry and Meghan had already seen Charles during a reunion at Highgrove in July. Yet, according to a second report from The Sun, Charles was reportedly told about the planned return only four days before the news became public.

The couple had apparently been considering the move for weeks or months, but they did not raise it during their July meeting with Charles and Queen Camilla.

Still, the reports say Charles is welcoming the opportunity to spend more time with his family privately. That would put Harry and Meghan considerably closer to the royals again — despite everything that happened after they left Britain.

A Return Made More Complicated by the Past

The Sussexes’ relationship with the rest of the Royal Family has been strained for years, with Harry and Meghan repeatedly speaking publicly about their experiences before and after leaving Britain. Harry has previously described returning to Britain as emotionally difficult. In 2021, during the Apple TV+ documentary The Me You Can’t See, he said:

“For most of my life I always felt worried, concerned, a little bit tense and uptight whenever I fly back into the UK. For me, London is a trigger because of what happened to my mum.”

Harry and the Duchess of Sussex also made serious allegations about the Royal Family during their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, including claims involving comments about the potential skin color of their unborn child.

Their Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan later revisited their experiences with the press, the Royal Family and Britain. Harry referred to his departure for North America as his “freedom flight,” while the series also explored Brexit and Britain’s relationship with the Commonwealth. Writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch described the Commonwealth as “Empire 2.0.”

By the time Harry published his memoir Spare, the family rift had become even more public.

The Three Words That Exposed a Deeper Rift Between Harry and William

In his memoir Spare, Harry described deeply personal disagreements involving Charles, his late grandparents and his brother, Prince William. One confrontation in particular became one of the memoir’s most talked-about passages.

Harry wrote that a 2019 argument at Nottingham Cottage began after William raised concerns about Meghan. And this is where the disagreement became particularly personal. Harry said William described Meghan as:

“difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.”

Harry characterized those words as a “parrot[ing of] the press narrative” about his wife. The argument then escalated dramatically, with Harry alleging that William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor.”

Harry wrote that he landed on a dog bowl, which broke and cut his back. He said William later returned “looking regretful, and apologised,” before leaving again. Harry also recounted William telling him, “You don’t need to tell Meg about this.”

The account, which Harry presented in Spare, offered a striking glimpse into how deeply the brothers’ relationship had deteriorated. The Guardian later reported the confrontation in detail.

Harry Had Been Looking for a Way Back

The idea of Harry spending more time in Britain did not come completely out of nowhere. In 2023, the Sussexes lost their use of Frogmore Cottage after Charles asked them to leave the Windsor property following the publication of Spare.

The couple had received the lease as a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II in 2018, but they were subsequently left without a permanent UK residence.

According to The New York Post, Harry later searched for a London property he could use as a base rather than repeatedly staying in hotels. The report also said his search was connected to difficulties surrounding his friendships in Britain.

A report cited by the New York Post from The Mirror quoted royal author Tom Quinn as saying Harry missed aspects of his old life in Britain.

“As time goes by, Harry misses some aspects of his old life in the UK. Inevitably, the honeymoon period where everything in the States is new and exciting is coming to an end, and Harry is looking back at the past through rose-tinted spectacles.”

Tom also said, “He misses his Old Etonian and army friends, many of whom have not visited as they don’t get on with Meghan,” adding:

“Harry is determined to find his own permanent home in the UK, which is partly why he’s continuing his legal action to get the British taxpayer to pay for his security.”

But while Harry had been looking toward Britain, life in America had not exactly unfolded without complications.

Harry and Meghan’s American Chapter Has Had Its Own UPS and Downs

Harry and Meghan’s years in the U.S. have included a number of professional highs and lows, particularly through their entertainment company, Archewell Productions.

Launched in 2020, the company set out to create scripted and unscripted films and series, but its output has been more limited than originally envisioned. Variety reported that Archewell now mostly platforms Meghan’s As Ever brand.

Netflix was one of Archewell’s first major partners in 2020, but the relationship has reportedly become strained after years of relatively limited production.

In a 2026 Variety cover story about the Netflix deal, one Netflix insider described the mood inside the company bluntly, “The mood in the building is ‘We’re done.’” The deal, however, remains intact for now.

In March 2026, Variety reported that Harry and Meghan were developing a film adaptation of the Afghan war memoir No Way Out: The Searing True Story of Men Under Siege for Netflix.

The book tells the story of British Major Adam Jowett’s command of Easy Company, a unit of Paras and Royal Irish Rangers tasked with protecting the District Centre of Musa Qala in Afghanistan in 2006.

So while their Netflix relationship has faced questions, the couple still has an active production in the works. Their move back to Britain, however, raises another issue that Harry has spent years fighting over.

Security Remains One of the Biggest Questions for the Sussexes

Harry has spent years fighting for police protection in Britain and has previously argued that it would be unsafe to bring his wife and children back without adequate security arrangements. The Sun reported that Harry previously said, after a court loss, “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”

Yet Meghan, Archie and Lilibet reportedly visited Britain during their most recent trip without taxpayer-funded armed police. It remains unclear whether the security arrangements around the family have changed.

That uncertainty is striking because security was previously one of the reasons Harry said he could not see himself bringing his family back to Britain. Now, according to reports, the family is preparing to spend an extended period there. And that has inevitably prompted another question: why make the move now?

Why Leave California Now?

One explanation circulating in the aftermath of the announcement involves President Donald Trump. According to the Daily Mail’s report, Donald’s MAGA allies have suggested that the couple’s dislike of the president could be partly behind their decision to return to Britain.

Katie Miller, wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, directly weighed in on X, writing, “They are moving back to Britain because they don’t like President Trump.”

The comment was presented as a claim rather than confirmation from Harry or Meghan. Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly also reacted to the reported move on X.

The Daily Mail also noted that Harry and Meghan have previously made clear their disillusionment with the current White House. Their tensions with Donald have surfaced before, including after Harry responded to the president’s comments about NATO allies and Afghanistan.

Harry, who served in Afghanistan, said, “every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States … in pursuit of our shared security.” He continued, “Allies answered that call.”

Harry added, “I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there.” This is not an explanation confirmed by Harry or Meghan. The Daily Mail also pointed to another possible factor: Harry’s reported belief that Meghan has received a warmer reception from the British public during recent visits.

Whatever ultimately prompted the decision, the couple does not appear to be abandoning America completely.

What Happens to Their California Home?

Despite reports of a prolonged UK stay, Harry and Meghan do not appear to be cutting ties with their life in California. In fact, one major part of that life is expected to remain exactly where it is.

The Express UK reported that Harry and Meghan will retain their Montecito home and their holiday property in Portugal. The couple purchased their California estate in 2020 for $14.65 million, according to Page Six’s report on the property.

The sprawling property reportedly has nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms across 18,000 square feet. It also features rose gardens, century-old olive trees, a tennis court, a tea house, a children’s cottage and a swimming pool, along with a two-bedroom guest house.

So while Britain may become the family’s base while Archie and Lilibet attend school, Montecito is not being abandoned. The arrangement suggests the reported move could be less about closing the door on America and more about creating a life that stretches across both countries.

Their Lives Could Now Span Two Countries

PEOPLE reported that Meghan will continue leading As Ever from the couple’s international bases, while Harry is expected to spend significantly more time supporting his British charitable work. Harry was already expected to be in Britain in September for events connected to WellChild and the Invictus Games.

Their reported relocation therefore does not appear to signal a restoration of their former royal roles. Instead, it could create a very different arrangement: the family living in Britain for an extended period, while continuing their businesses, charitable commitments and life in California.

That leaves the biggest question closer to home — how will the rest of the Royal Family react?

According to Woman’s Day, William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have remained wary of Harry and Meghan following years of public disagreements. The outlet attributed the claims to an unnamed source, who said, “Kate feels like the royal family is being hijacked.”

The same source also claimed, “She and William don’t want to see Meghan and Harry welcomed back into the fold. They see them as troublemakers and people who can’t be trusted.”

“Charles is trying to keep the lines of communication open with Harry and Meghan, but Kate is far more cautious,” the source added. “Charles has never stopped hoping the family will heal, but Kate and William remain wary after years of private family matters being aired in public.”

“Kate feels they’ve paid a very high price over the past few years – she’s cautious about Harry and Meghan having access again when there are still unresolved issues. She wouldn’t be surprised if this is them setting some sort of trap.”

These comments are not an official statement from William or Catherine.