Prince Harry, Meghan Moving Back to the U.K.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are moving back to the United Kingdom, more than six years after relocating to the United States and settling in California, BBC News reported.

King Charles III was informed of the decision on Sunday, and there are no plans for Harry or Meghan to resume royal duties. Harry's brother, Prince William, and his wife, Princess Catherine, were also told.

The couple announced in January 2020 that they were stepping away from "senior" royal roles and working toward financial independence from the royal family. At the time, they said the move would let them "raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born" while giving their family space to focus on "the next chapter."

Harry and Meghan now have two children, Archie, born in 2019, and Lilibet, born in 2021. Both are enrolled to start school in the U.K. in September, according to BBC News.

Buckingham Palace confirmed in February 2021 that the couple were no longer working members of the royal family. Their departure and move to California created lasting tension with other royals, which deepened after their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which Meghan described conversations about Archie's title, security and skin color, and Harry said he was "disappointed" with his father.

Harry, Meghan and their children traveled to the U.K. last month and met with King Charles for the first time in years, though the relocation was not discussed during that visit, BBC News reported. The trip was preceded by controversy after Harry reportedly considered leaving his wife and children behind following the rejection of his request for taxpayer-funded police protection. Harry lost a 2024 court battle over the decision to downgrade his security detail for U.K. visits after he stepped back from royal duties.