Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and their two children have arrived in the United Kingdom, according to British media reports. The couple, who stepped down from royal duties six years ago to move to California, landed at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday as private citizens.
The return follows last week's surprise announcement that they would be relocating. British media said the family plans to stay in the country for “an extended period,” residing at a home in the Cotswolds, central England. Their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, have been enrolled in a private school. However, they intend to keep their California home.
Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, who still hold the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex, moved to the US after a bitter falling-out with other royal family members. The rift deepened after Harry published his memoir Spare and the couple gave an interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, in which Meghan spoke about mental health struggles after joining the royal family and accused them of racism.
The couple formally withdrew as working royals in 2020, later settling in the US to pursue lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify, though these ventures met with only partial success.
During recent visits to the UK, Harry appeared to take steps toward reconciliation with King Charles III, his father, who is undergoing cancer treatment. Settling in the Cotswolds would place him closer to the king's residence at Highgrove House. However, reports indicate the king was not given advance notice of their return plans, learning of the news at the same time as the public.
Many questions remain unanswered about this return, including whether they will receive publicly funded security protection. After giving up royal duties, Prince Harry lost a legal challenge against the UK government's decision to downgrade his security. Since then, he has said he feels uneasy about bringing his family to the country without police protection paid for by taxpayers.
