Harry and Meghan Reportedly Planning Permanent Move Back to the UK

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to move back to the United Kingdom, according to the BBC, in what would mark the most significant development in the couple’s relationship with Britain since they stepped back from royal duties in 2020.

The news was first reported by the Daily Telegraph and the Sun, with the BBC confirming it independently. According to the reports, Prince Harry and Meghan intend to relocate from the United States later this month, settling into a private, non-royal residence outside London.

What we know so far

The couple’s children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are reportedly enrolled to begin at a British school in September, suggesting the move is intended to be permanent rather than a temporary or trial arrangement.

King Charles was informed of the decision on Sunday. Prince William and Princess Catherine have also been told. According to the reports, there are currently no plans for either Harry or Meghan to resume their roles as working royals, suggesting this is being framed as a personal relocation rather than any kind of formal return to royal duties.

Notably, the Sussexes and their children visited King Charles at Highgrove in July this year – their first UK family visit since 2022 – but it’s understood the possibility of a permanent move was not raised or discussed during that visit.

The lead-up to this decision

This reported move doesn’t come out of nowhere. It follows more than a year of persistent reporting and speculation about a possible Sussex return to Britain, much of it tied to Harry’s long-running dispute over UK police protection. Harry lost his automatic entitlement to taxpayer-funded security when he stepped back from royal duties in 2020, and has previously said it would be “impossible” to bring Meghan and their children to the UK without it. Reports throughout the year suggested a review of his security arrangements was moving in his favour.

The couple’s July visit to the UK – their first as a family since the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 – was widely seen as a significant thaw in relations, culminating in the private family gathering with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove. Speculation had also connected a potential return to the 2027 Invictus Games, which Harry founded and which will be held in Birmingham, giving him a natural reason to spend more sustained time in the UK.

What happens now

Neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have yet issued formal public comment on the reports. This is a developing story, and we’ll update as further details emerge.