This return to Britain follows news from last week that the couple would be coming back to the country after spending six years in California. The pair, who announced in January 2020 that they were stepping away from their roles as senior, working members of the royal family to pursue financial independence, have no plans to resume royal duties. They will continue to operate as non-working members of the royal family, as they have for the past six years. The BBC reported that the couple is expected to reside in the affluent Cotswolds region, situated about a two-hour drive west of London.
When the couple originally announced their departure in 2020, they stated that the move would enable them to raise their son with an appreciation for royal tradition while providing the family with space to focus on their next chapter, including the launch of a new charitable entity. Their decision to move to California previously fueled significant tension with other members of the royal family. According to the BBC, the couple's children are due to start at a new school next week.
Security arrangements remain a subject of public interest. In 2024, the Duke of Sussex lost a legal challenge against a government body's decision to downgrade his security detail on visits to the U.K. following his departure from royal duties. When asked about future security arrangements last week, U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that it was a private matter for the Sussexes, adding that he and his family wish them well in their moves. Additionally, on Friday, Prince Harry and six other high-profile claimants were ordered to pay several million dollars to the publisher of the Daily Mail after their legal claims against the newspaper were deemed by a court to be "unreasonable to a high degree."
The pair have no plans to resume royal duties. They will continue as non-working members of the royal family, as they have been for six years, and the BBC said they were expected to live in the affluent Cotswolds region, about a 2-hour drive west of London.
Harry and Meghan have two children, Archie, born in 2019, and Lilibet, born in 2021. They are due to start at a new school next week, according to the BBC.
