Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are reportedly preparing to move back to Britain with their two children this month, marking a significant change more than six years after the couple left the United Kingdom for a new life abroad.
The Telegraph reported that Harry and Meghan will live in a privately owned, non-royal residence believed to be outside London.
Their children, 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet, have reportedly already been enrolled in a school they will begin attending next month.
King Charles III was informed of the couple’s plans Sunday, according to the report.
The move does not mean Harry and Meghan are returning as working royals.
The Daily Mail reported that Charles “welcomes” the opportunity to spend time privately with his son and his family, but there will be “no alteration” to Harry and Meghan’s official status.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will remain private individuals and non-working members of the Royal Family, consistent with the arrangement established after they stepped away from royal duties.
Another unresolved issue is security.
Harry has repeatedly fought for greater police protection when visiting Britain, including through legal proceedings over changes to his security arrangements after leaving his working royal role. The Telegraph reported no announcement of additional taxpayer-funded protection accompanying the couple’s latest move.
Nor is the relocation necessarily permanent.
Harry and Meghan reportedly plan to retain properties in Montecito, California, and Portugal, with their return to Britain described as an extended stay rather than a permanent relocation.
There are, however, questions about how long they will keep the Montecito estate.
The New York Post reported there have been “rumblings” that the couple could sell the California mansion they purchased for $14.65 million in June 2020.
Maintaining the property is expensive. The Post estimated mortgage payments at approximately $40,000 per month, while annual property taxes are reportedly close to $150,000. Combined mortgage and tax expenses could therefore approach $600,000 annually.
Jason Streatfeild, a real estate broker familiar with the area, told the Post that a potential sale might never appear through a conventional public listing.
“Many times properties like this will trade off market with an NDA signed and all of the terms sealed until the property records at the county,” Streatfeild said.
“It’s very possible that they would be listing it, but I have a strong feeling that it’s already being discussed and shown.”
The reported return to Britain also comes as Harry and Meghan face renewed questions about the commercial performance of their entertainment projects.
Their Archewell Productions documentary “Cookie Queens,” which follows four Girl Scouts selling cookies, was released over the weekend.
According to reported figures from Box Office Mojo, the film earned approximately $354,000 while playing in 446 theaters.
For comparison, “CatVideoFest 2026,” a compilation of internet cat videos, reportedly generated about $569,000 from only 255 screens.
That performance prompted critics of the Sussexes to question whether the couple can maintain the enormous public interest that surrounded them immediately after their departure from royal life.
Royal commentator Hilary Fordwich argued that their strongest commercial attraction has remained their connection to the monarchy.
“The extremely underwhelming box office is a clear indication that, yet again, unless they are bashing the royals and sharing inside stories, secrets and betraying the privacy of the family, there isn’t much they have that is at all in demand nor popular,” Fordwich said.
“Meghan certainly doesn’t have the commercial pull she has so desired.”
Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield offered a somewhat different explanation, drawing a distinction between attracting public attention and converting that attention into successful products.
“Harry and Meghan are a fascinating case study in the difference between attention and commercial influence,” Schofield said. “Infamy can be extremely valuable to newspapers, television shows and social media platforms because people will click, argue and engage. Monetizing that attention yourself is a completely different challenge.”
She noted that the circumstances were dramatically different when Harry and Meghan first established themselves in California.
“When Harry and Meghan first arrived in California, they were the story,” Schofield said. “Hollywood was essentially buying access to two people who had just walked away from the Royal Family, and the curiosity surrounding them was enormous.”
Now the couple is preparing to cross the Atlantic in the opposite direction.
