Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the UK with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, and are believed to have found a private home outside London. The couple, who stepped back as senior working royals and left Britain in 2020, announced last week they would be leaving their Montecito, California home.
Arrival and Security Arrangements
They are understood to have secured a private, non-royal home outside London, with their children enrolled in British schools due to start within weeks. Harry and Meghan are thought to have landed by private jet on Thursday, accompanied by their own private security detail and without taxpayer-funded police protection or a police convoy.
The couple are believed to have crossed the Atlantic aboard a Bombardier Global Express XRS luxury long-range business jet, owned and chartered by Planet Nine Private Aircraft. The cost of chartering such an aircraft is estimated at $12,000 (£9,000) per hour.
Royal Relations and Past Allegations
The Duke and Duchess will not resume their duties as working royals, having stepped back six years ago. Following their departure, they participated in several high-profile interviews, including one with Oprah Winfrey, a Netflix series, and Harry published his memoir, Spare.
The couple also made allegations about their time as working royals, including an alleged fight between Harry and his elder brother, William, concerning his relationship with Meghan Markle. King Charles and Prince William are understood to have been informed simultaneously of the couple's return, and the two senior figures are said to be in "complete lockstep" regarding preventing Harry and Meghan from assuming a "half in, half out" position within the monarchy.
Princess Kate's Role and the Security Dispute
Friends of both William and Catherine have indicated the couple will keep their distance from "the drama" and, while they "cannot forgive" the Sussexes for their damaging claims, they remain committed to "look forward to the future." The two couples had shared a close bond during the early stages of Harry's romance with Meghan, even being dubbed the Fab Four at one joint public engagement.
Catherine had long been regarded as the "voice of reason" between the feuding brothers, yet when Harry and Meghan revealed their intentions to step back, she is said to have shown less enthusiasm than her husband in convincing them to remain, feeling their choice was "inevitable." In a biography entitled William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Mirror royal editor Russell Myers reveals how Harry was "incredulous" when his request for royal protection for Meghan before their wedding in 2018 was denied.
He reportedly felt it was "one rule for him and another for me" after learning that Catherine had received unofficial palace guidance when she began her relationship with William and was afforded round-the-clock security as soon as the couple became engaged. Harry was desperately seeking action to safeguard his then future wife after she became a target on social media and was left furious upon being informed that no security measures would be put in place until after the couple had married. His father, Charles, maintained that he was unable to intervene as it was a government decision, notwithstanding the assistance previously extended to Catherine.
Myers further reveals how the Princess believed Harry would desire more than being a "bit-part player" in the monarchy, given his deep-rooted differences with her husband.
