Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived in the UK, landing at Birmingham Airport at lunchtime on Wednesday (August 26) with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The family flew in from California, where they have been based for the past six years, after announcing they would return to Britain.
Landing fuels speculation over new home
The choice of Birmingham Airport has added to speculation about where the Sussexes will settle. The airport is some 70 miles north of the Cotswolds, which has been identified as their most likely new home.
It is also around 40 miles west of Althorp House, which the family visited in July during their summer holiday. The Grade-I listed stately home was the childhood home of Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and is her final resting place. Althorp is about 50 miles from the eastern fringes of the Cotswolds.
Plans and property details
Harry and Meghan will remain non-working royals, having quit the monarchy in 2020 to live in the US. Their move to the UK is not permanent but will be for an extended period. The pair have yet to speak publicly about their plans since the U-turn was revealed last week.
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, have been enrolled in British schools and are expected to start in September. While it has not been confirmed where the Sussexes will live, it is understood they will not live in a royal residence or in London, and are reportedly planning to set up home in a private property.
Cotswolds connections and future ventures
King Charles's rural residence, Highgrove House, is also in the Cotswolds region, which mostly spans Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. The area is a favourite among celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, Kate Moss, Liam Gallagher and David and Victoria Beckham.
Meghan and Harry are keeping their homes in Montecito, California, and Portugal. The Duchess of Sussex will continue to run her lifestyle brand, As Ever, from the couple's new home, and has been tipped to be in talks to return to acting, with rumours of a role in the third series of Guy Ritchie's Netflix drama, The Gentleman.
