Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced their return to the UK, a decision that contrasts sharply with the Duke of Sussex's statements about moving back to Britain just last year.
After six years of royal rifts, the Duke, 41, and Duchess of Sussex, 45, are moving back across the Atlantic at the end of the month with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
Harry's Previous Stance on Returning
The news came as a surprise to many, as in May 2025 the Duke firmly stated he could not envision returning with his family. In a sit-down interview with the BBC, Harry said: "I can't see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point."
He continued: "And the things that they're gonna miss is, well, everything. I love my country, I always have. Despite what some people in that country have done."
He stressed that "of course" he misses the UK, adding: "And I think that it's really quite sad that I won't be able to show, you know, my children my homeland."
Security and Family Reconciliation
It is believed the Duke's main concerns revolved around security and tax-payer funded protection for his family, which he and Meghan were stripped of after stepping down from the monarchy. The Duke also said he wanted nothing more than "reconciliation" with his family, although he acknowledged that some members of his family would never forgive him after the release of his tell-all memoir Spare in 2023.
When asked about the fallout with his family, he said: "There's no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious."
Sources told Page Six that King Charles was a driving reason for their move, as Harry wants to spend more time with his father, who is battling cancer. The monarch was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, although the type has never been publicly disclosed. He said in an interview last year: "I don't know how much longer my father has."
Children's Schooling and Living Arrangements
The Sussexes' children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, have only met their grandfather on a handful of occasions, having grown up in the United States. It has been reported that Harry and Meghan want the kids to strengthen their relationships with their British relatives. Insiders also told Page Six that the Duke and Duchess are moving back to the UK for "an extended period", rather than making a permanent move.
It has been claimed that the couple are not selling their $14 million Montecito mansion in the US, which has served as their family home for the past six years. That being said, Archie and Lilibet have already been enrolled in a British school for the start of their September term. It has also been debated where the Sussexes will live, after the King previously evicted them from their previous home of Frogmore Cottage, leaving them "homeless" in the UK.
Harry and Meghan were informed by Buckingham Palace to fully vacate the premises in 2023, in a move which came just days after the release of the Duke's memoir, Spare. The cottage had been gifted to the Sussexes from the late Queen Elizabeth as a wedding present after they tied the knot in 2018.
Less than two years into their royal roles, the pair made the decision to quit the monarchy and relocate to the US in January 2020. In a statement at the time, they wrote: "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen."
