Harry and Meghan’s Surprise New Move Back to the UK
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are set to move back to the UK this month, roughly six years after they stepped back from royal duties and relocated to California. The move, first reported by British media and confirmed by sources to outlets including CNN and CBS News, marks a significant shift for the couple, though it does not signal a return to royal life.
Why Harry and Meghan Left
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced they would step back from their roles as senior royals and work to become financially independent, in a decision widely dubbed “Megxit.” They relocated to North America and, after their initial hideaway on Canada’s Vancouver Island was exposed by tabloids, accepted an offer from filmmaker Tyler Perry, who lent them his private jet and his Los Angeles home for the 2020 move to California — a relocation the couple later recounted in their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan as their “freedom flight.” At the time, the couple cited a desire for a more independent life and pointed to intrusive coverage from the British press, particularly toward Meghan, who is widely described as the first mixed-race member of the modern royal family — a pattern of scrutiny Glitter has examined in a separate opinion piece. Security also became a central issue after Harry lost his automatic entitlement to UK police protection.
In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan went further, alleging that while she was pregnant, an unnamed member of the royal family raised “concerns and conversations about how dark” Archie’s skin might be when he was born. She declined to attribute the remark to a specific person, and Winfrey later stated that Harry had clarified it did not involve Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Philip. Buckingham Palace responded that “recollections may vary” and that the family would address the matters raised, “particularly that of race,” privately. Buckingham Palace confirmed in February 2021 that the pair were no longer working members of the royal family, and their departure created lasting tension with relatives.
Their Ventures in America
During their years in California, Harry and Meghan built a portfolio of business and creative ventures. Through their Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions, the couple signed a multi-year Netflix partnership that produced their 2022 docuseries Harry & Meghan, the sports series Polo, and Meghan’s lifestyle show With Love, Meghan, which drew mixed reviews from critics. Meghan also launched her lifestyle brand, As Ever (originally announced as American Riviera Orchard), and a podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, while Harry released his best-selling memoir Spare and continued his work with the Invictus Games. Most recently, the pair executive produced Cookie Queens, a documentary following four Girl Scouts through cookie-selling season, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and reached theaters in August.
The Surprise Return
Now, in a move few anticipated, the couple is relocating to a private, non-royal residence outside London for an extended period. Their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, are enrolled to begin school in the UK in September. Harry and Meghan will keep their Montecito home and their vacation property in Portugal, and there are no plans for them to resume royal duties or live in a royal residence.
King Charles was informed of the decision on Sunday and reportedly welcomes the opportunity to see the family more often in a private capacity, and Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were also told. The relocation follows a July family visit with the King that was widely viewed as easing strained relations. Where exactly in the UK the family will live has not been made public.
