Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the UK, more than six years after they relocated to the US. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will return later this month, making their home in a non-royal residence outside of London, and have already enrolled Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in British schools. There will be no change to their role and status as private individuals and non-working members of the Royal Family.
PR Expert Speculates on Motive
Renae Smith, founder of PR and branding agency The Atticism, told the Daily Express: “Let me start with the golden rule of my industry: people do things for their own benefit. Always.”
Smith added: “So whatever the official framing ends up being, the simple truth is that for some reason, Harry and Meghan have decided the UK now holds more opportunity for them than the US does. Nobody swaps Montecito sunshine for British drizzle out of sentiment. Something in their calculation has changed, and that is the real story here.”
Family Background and Previous Visit
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in early 2020 for a new, financially independent life in the US. Despite various claims that the duchess did not want to “set foot in Britain ever again,” the couple returned last month and met with the King and Queen, as well as their two children. The private family gathering took place at Highgrove House and was kept under wraps until after it was over.
Smith further commented: “We simply do not know what is driving this. Perhaps Meghan is ready to try again properly. Perhaps Harry wants to be closer to royal life, or even wants a way back into it. Perhaps there is family news we are not privy to that makes being on the right side of the Atlantic suddenly matter. Any one of those would fully explain this decision, and the honest answer is that none of us on the outside know which it is.”
Royal Family and Public Reaction
The King, who is still living with cancer, was first made aware of the move on Sunday, only three days before it was made public, but is understood to welcome the opportunity to see more of the family both in a private and personal capacity. Their status will remain the same, with the couple not offered a “half-in-half-out” option regarding their roles.
The Sussexes’ decision raises the question of how the news will be met by the Prince and Princess of Wales. William – a future king – is estranged from his brother after Harry levelled a barrage of accusations against the prince, Kate, the King and Queen Camilla in the years since the Megxit crisis of 2020. A YouGov poll found last month that only 22% of Britons see Meghan in a positive light, compared with 65% who hold an unfavourable opinion, with 33% seeing Harry positively and 58% negatively.
The Telegraph and Sun reported that Archie, seven, and Lili, five, will start at their new schools in September. The Sussexes will retain their homes in Montecito, California, and Portugal, while the duchess will continue to run her lifestyle brand As Ever from their new base.
