The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced their return to Britain, with their children set to attend British schools from September, six years after relinquishing their roles as senior working royals.
The couple caused a stir when they revealed in January 2020 their intention to pursue a 'normal' dual existence, generating their own income in America while continuing to support the monarch.
Following their departure to California and complete withdrawal from senior royal duties as the Covid pandemic took hold in March 2020, the 'Megxit' saga continued to create difficulties for the Royal Family.
In the most recent dramatic development, Prince Harry and Meghan are relocating to the UK with Prince Archie and Prince Lilibet due to begin at British schools.
2020 – Queen Elizabeth Convenes Summit Over 'Megxit'
The late Queen Elizabeth II convened a Sandringham summit to address the "Megxit" crisis, concluding that the Sussexes' part-time royal arrangement was unworkable – they had to be fully committed or step away entirely.
Buckingham Palace announced in January 2020 that the couple were relinquishing Royal Duties, including official military appointments, and would no longer be funded by the public purse. The decision also prevented them from using their HRH titles.
Several months afterwards, Harry and Meghan relocated to America with their firstborn son, Archie.
2021 – Claims Emerge During Oprah Winfrey Interview
A year on, during a televised chat with presenter Oprah Winfrey while Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, lay poorly in hospital in 2021, they alleged an unidentified royal had made a racist comment about their son's complexion before his birth and claimed the monarchy didn't support a suicidal Meghan.
Meghan also disclosed it was Kate who brought her to tears during a bridesmaid dress fitting before the Sussexes' nuptials, and that the Palace declined to set straight the original reports suggesting it happened the opposite way.
Harry's grandmother Elizabeth II declined to address the matter publicly, stating in a release that the concerns raised would be handled privately within the family, though acknowledging "some recollections may vary".
Meanwhile, Meghan faced accusations of bullying Palace staff, which she vehemently rejected, and the couple developed a reputation for struggling to keep hold of employees.
2022 – Queen Elizabeth's Funeral
Harry subsequently accused the royal family of a "horrible reaction" on the day Queen Elizabeth II passed away, and claimed he wasn't invited aboard the aircraft transporting his relatives to Balmoral to see her.
In a crushing setback, he was also barred from wearing military uniform at his grandmother's funeral as a non-working royal.
In the years since, the duke has undertaken a handful of trips to the UK.
2022-2023 – Harry Claims Brother 'Attacked' Him in Netflix Documentary and Book Spare
No longer financially supported by the King, then Prince of Wales, the Sussexes subsequently secured lucrative commercial agreements worth millions with streaming giants Netflix and Spotify.
By 2021, Megxit became irreversible when the Queen removed a heartbroken Harry's military appointments and royal patronages, though the Sussexes insisted they remained committed to a life of service.
The couple welcomed their daughter, Lilibet Diana, in June 2021, a younger sibling for Archie – yet their assertion that the Queen had approved their use of her intimate childhood nickname left the monarch "as angry as I'd ever seen her", according to a palace insider.
The couple proceeded to level further accusations through a Netflix series and the duke's chart-topping memoir Spare – both launched in the months following the late Queen's passing and during the early stages of the King's reign.
Harry alleged his "archnemesis" brother "Willy" physically assaulted him, sending him crashing to the floor into a dog bowl during a confrontation over Meghan's purported discourteous conduct, and that the King prioritised his own concerns over Harry's while harbouring jealousy towards Meghan and Kate.
He additionally undermined his stepmother Queen Camilla's standing, branding her "dangerous" due to her readiness to cultivate ties with the British media, and accusing her of rehabilitating her public "image" at his expense during promotional interviews for his memoir.
2023-2024 – Brief Returns to the UK for Coronation and King's Cancer Diagnosis
He was present at the King's coronation in 2023 – minus Meghan – though the visit proved fleeting, with the duke, who had no formal duties during the ceremony, departing straight afterwards to fly back to the States on what happened to be Archie's fourth birthday.
Harry's decision to pursue legal proceedings against the Home Office regarding his UK security is understood to have created complications for the King in his capacity as head of state, with the duke previously stating his father had ceased answering his calls.
Following Charles's cancer diagnosis in 2024, Harry dashed to London to visit him, though their time together lasted under 45 minutes before the King departed for Sandringham.
Prince Harry Launches Legal Action Against UK Tabloids
The duke – who previously described himself as having become "professional" at litigation – took tabloid newspapers to court, achieving notable victories at the High Court, particularly after resolving his claim against the publisher of The Sun, securing substantial damages and obtaining a "full and unequivocal apology" for both "serious intrusion" into his private life and that of Diana, Princess of Wales, and "unlawful activities".
In an ITV documentary chronicling his battle, he revealed his resolve to challenge the tabloids represented a "central piece" in damaging his family relationships, with the "rift" partly stemming from his campaign.
William is understood to have secured a settlement with News Group Newspapers for a "huge sum of money" regarding hacking allegations in 2020. Harry recently suffered defeat in his High Court action, brought alongside other high-profile figures, against the Daily Mail's publisher over claims of unlawful information-gathering.
Meghan, on the other hand, has endured persistent online abuse through the years, branding herself as the most trolled individual globally.
2025 – Humanitarian Relief and Charity Fall Out
The couple established their Archewell Foundation dedicated to humanitarian relief efforts, advocating for children's online safety and backing community initiatives, which was subsequently rebranded as Archewell Philanthropies.
Harry recently departed from his Sentebale charity after almost two decades amid an acrimonious row with its chair of trustees that surfaced in 2025 – a departure characterised as "emotionally absolutely devastating" for the duke.
2023-2025 – Spotify Deal Turns Sour and Meghan's Netflix Show
The Sussexes secured a scaled-back first look agreement with Netflix in 2025, following harsh criticism of Meghan's lifestyle programme With Love, Meghan. The Netflix series, which saw the former actress creating and cooking alongside her celebrity friends, ran for two series and a Christmas special, all broadcast in 2025.
The pair's profitable media partnership with Spotify in 2023 concluded after just one season of Meghan's podcast Archetypes, with company bosses labelling them "grifters".
Meghan has developed her As Ever brand offering jam, wine and flower sprinkles as a spin-off from the television programme.
2025 – Harry Loses Court Challenge Over Security
Following his unsuccessful Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office regarding his UK security arrangements in 2025, he informed the BBC he "can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK".
However, the Telegraph suggested that Harry sought a "refuge" in the UK and the "freedom to enjoy British summers, see friends and come and go without the 'circus' that has surrounded recent visits".
2026 – Reconciliation with King Charles
The duke has experienced an improvement in his previously strained relationship with his father in recent months. Harry and Meghan brought Archie and Lili to visit their grandfather for the first time in four years during July 2026, when they met Charles and Camilla at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.
No similar reunion has yet occurred with William, who endured the "brutal" ordeal of both the King and Kate receiving cancer diagnoses within the same year.
Harry disclosed following the release of Spare in 2023 that he possessed, in fact, sufficient material for two books.
"There are some things that have happened, especially between me and my brother, and to some extent between me and my father, that I just don't want the world to know," he said. "Because I don't think they would ever forgive me."
2026 – Return to the UK
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed they'll be heading back to the UK in August 2026. Their youngsters will start at British schools from September, marking six years since they stepped away from senior royal duties.
The pair are understood to be relocating to a 'private, non-royal residence outside London'. King Charles was apparently informed of the decision on Sunday.
At present, there are no plans for either Prince Harry or Meghan to take up their positions as working Royals again.
