Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to spend more time in Britain may be about far more than a change of scenery, according to sources close to the couple. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the UK and stepped back from their royal duties in early 2020, settling in California in March of that year. After years of building a life in the United States, the Sussexes are returning to Britain for an extended period with their two children, Princess Lilibet, 5, and Prince Archie, 7.
Children's school age sparks return
With the children reaching school age, sources suggest the Sussexes see an opportunity to reconnect with Harry’s homeland while giving their children a closer relationship with their British family heritage. A source close to Prince Harry told PEOPLE: “Step by step, they want to be in the UK. They want to have the time and give the kids the opportunity to be here.”
The family has announced they are relocating to the UK just a month after Harry and Meghan took Archie and Lilibet to see their grandfather the King for the first time in four years at his Highgrove home in July. The children have grown up primarily in California, far from many of their British relatives and the environment in which their father was raised.
Arrival in Birmingham confirmed
According to PEOPLE, a source close to the Duke said: “He wants them to understand the world he grew up in and where their family comes from.” Harry and Meghan have reportedly landed in the UK today days after announcing their move.
Harry, Meghan, and their children Archie and Lilibet are said to have flown into the country privately from California, and landed in Birmingham shortly before midday on Wednesday, the BBC reports. It is thought that the couple could be moving to a private property outside London in the Cotswolds area. Archie and Lilibet have been enrolled at schools ahead of the new school term, which begins next week.
