The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to return to the UK, six years after leaving the country and the Royal Family for a new life in America. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will return to the UK 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.
It is understood there will be no change to the Sussexes' role and status as private individuals and non-working members of the Royal Family. 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.
Early Relationship and Engagement
Prince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend in July 2016. On November 8, 2016, the duke confirmed Meghan is his girlfriend and condemned press coverage of her, saying he fears for her safety and that press coverage crossed the line and used "racial undertones" in its stories.
A statement released by his Press Secretary at the time read: "Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game.' He strongly disagrees. This is not a game—it is her life and his."
On November 27, 2017, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex got married in a grand ceremony at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.
Stepping Back and Legal Battles
In 2019, Prince Harry launched lawsuits against three newspaper groups in the UK. Prince Archie was born on May 6, 2019. On January 8, 2020, the Sussexes announced plans to "step back" as senior royals and become financially independent, moving to Meghan's native California.
In February 2020, the committee that oversees royal security decided the duke would not receive the same level of taxpayer-funded protection as he did when he was a full-time royal. Harry later launched legal action against the UK Government over the security decision. On February 11, 2021, Meghan won an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers, over the publication of a letter she wrote in 2018 to her estranged father.
Princess Lilibet was born on June 4, 2021. Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, aged 96, after 70 years on the throne. Her eldest son became King Charles III.
Memoir, Coronation and Security Ruling
On January 10, 2023, Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, was published, including bombshell claims about his grief, frustrations in his royal role and anger at his father, brother, stepmother and the media. King Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023, with Harry attending without Meghan or the children.
A three-day court hearing began on December 5, 2023, on Harry's claim over his security. On December 15, 2023, Prince Harry won 15 of 33 hacking claims against Mirror Group Newspapers, awarded legal costs and 140,000 pounds ($190,000) in damages. Buckingham Palace announced on February 5, 2024, that King Charles has cancer and will receive treatment. Prince Harry arrived in the UK on February 7, 2024, to visit his father, departing the next day. The High Court dismissed Harry's security claim on February 28, 2024, and he appealed the decision.
On January 22, 2025, the publisher of tabloid newspaper The Sun settled a lawsuit, offering Harry "a full and unequivocal apology" for intruding on his private life between 1996 and 2011. Three Court of Appeal judges dismissed Harry's case on May 2, 2025, saying the security decision was "sensible." Harry responded in an interview, saying the decision means he can't bring his wife and children to his home country. The duke gave an interview to the BBC on May 3, 2025, saying he wants reconciliation but also re-airs grievances against the Royal Family, the UK Government and the media.
Thaw in Relations and Move Announcement
Harry arrived in the UK on September 8, 2025, to visit his charities amid signs of a thaw in the frigid relationship between him and the rest of the Royal Family. On September 10, 2025, Harry joined King Charles for tea in London, marking the first time they'd met in more than a year. Prince Harry arrived in the UK on July 6, 2026, for a five-day visit, mainly to mark the one-year-to-go event for the Invictus Games in Birmingham. King Charles met with Prince Harry at Highgrove House on July 10, 2026, joined by Queen Camilla, Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Reports on August 19, 2026, revealed the Sussexes' plans to move back to the UK.
