Meghan Markle has previously voiced concerns about her children's safety and protection in the UK due to privacy worries. The Duchess of Sussex is set to leave life in the US and return to the UK after six years living away with her children and Prince Harry.
Despite Meghan's previous fears, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to return to the UK with Lilibet and Archie to enrol them in school. The couple have not officially confirmed the news themselves, but multiple outlets reported on Wednesday night that the shock return has been in the pipeline for months and could be completed by the end of August.
Privacy Concerns vs. Parental Protection
Speaking to The Cut in 2022, Meghan stated she enjoyed the privacy and anonymity in the US when dropping her children off to school, in contrast to the media storm in the UK. The Duchess explained that "she'd never be able to do school pickup and drop-off without it being a royal photo call with a press pen of 40 people snapping pictures."
She stated: "Sorry, I have a problem with that. That doesn't make me obsessed with privacy. That makes me a strong and good parent protecting my child."
Plans for UK Resettlement
Currently, Archie and Lilibet's cousins, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, attend Lambrook School in Berkshire, England. Prince George will start at Eton College near Windsor in September. The couple's planned move to the UK has sparked questions about Meghan and Harry's security and the privacy surrounding the family.
The Sussexes, who had a reunion with His Majesty last month, are also said to have found a new home in the UK. It is reported they will move into a private, non-royal residence thought to be outside London. They will not be working royals but will continue with their business enterprises. While there are no current plans for either to return to official working roles within the Royal family, the move does open the door for them to do so in the future.
Context of the Decision
The news comes six years after Harry and Meghan's Megxit move to the US, when they stepped down as working Royals and relocated to California. In Afghanistan in 2008, Harry said: "I generally don't like England that much." His mother Diana died in a 1997 car crash while she was chased by paparazzi in Paris.
On the Apple TV+ show The Me You Can't See in 2021, he added: "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."
