Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are planning to move back to the United Kingdom later this month, settling in a private, non-royal residence outside London. The couple has lived in Montecito, California since stepping back from senior royal duties in early 2020.
The move was first reported by The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. ABC News and BBC News both confirmed the plans through separate sources familiar with the matter. King Charles III was informed of the decision on Sunday and is said to welcome the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family in a private and personal capacity.
Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are enrolled to start at a British school in September. The family plans to retain their current residences in Montecito and in Portugal, according to The Telegraph. There are no plans for Harry or Meghan to resume roles as working royals. They will remain private individuals.
Prince William and Princess Catherine have also been informed of the planned move, the BBC reported. Buckingham Palace has not issued a formal comment.
The announcement follows a significant shift in family relations. Harry, Meghan, and their two children visited King Charles at his Highgrove home in Gloucestershire in July. That meeting was described by the Palace as a private family occasion. It was the first time the King had seen his grandchildren in person in more than four years, and the first time Charles and Queen Camilla were known to have seen Meghan since 2022. The planned move was not discussed during that visit, a source told ABC News.
Security arrangements for the family have not been disclosed. Harry lost a legal challenge last year over the level of security he and his family are entitled to while in the United Kingdom. The government had downgraded his protection after he stopped being a working royal. After news of the move became public, a Home Office spokesperson said decisions on royal security were made by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, and that the government's protective security system was described as rigorous and proportionate.
Harry had previously said that concerns about safety prevented him from bringing his wife and children to the UK. The couple had not been in the country together since attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. During his July visit, Harry promoted the Invictus Games for injured service members, which will be hosted in Birmingham next year.
