Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly moving back to the U.K. with their two children, six years after stepping down as senior royals and leaving the country – and the surprising decision has inevitably raised questions about what it means for them professionally and in terms of privacy and security!
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have lived in Montecito, California since 2020, are reportedly returning to the U.K. for an “extended period,” with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, set to start school there in September. Wow! The move is particularly surprising given Prince Harry’s long-running battle over security in the U.K. and his previous insistence that he didn’t feel it was safe to bring his wife and children back to the country without the security he received when he was a working royal.
Although the Sussexes will reportedly remain non-working members of the royal family and keep their homes in California and Portugal, per the latest reports, questions remain over what security arrangements will be in place for the family during their extended stay in Britain.
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Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Are Reportedly Returning To The UK With Their Children
According to People, Prince Harry and Meghan, along with their kids, are relocating to the U.K. for an "extended period" beginning this month, with the children set to begin school there in September.
The Sussexes aren't completely leaving their lives in the U.S. behind though, as the Suits actress and Spare author will reportedly maintain their Montecito home, as well as their vacation property in Portugal, while establishing a private, non-royal home base in Britain. The location of their new U.K. residence has not been disclosed, reportedly for security reasons.
The move comes shortly after the family returned to the U.K. and reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, in a meeting reportedly shrouded in such secrecy that even Prince William and Kate Middleton didn't know about it until after it happened, with Camilla reportedly only finding out at the last moment.
This could mean that relations between the Sussexes and some members of the royal family are thawing following years of tension, although we still don't know where Prince Harry stands with his brother and sister-in-law. There has also been speculation that King Charles' ongoing cancer battle could be another factor behind Harry's desire to spend more time in the U.K. and be closer to his father. But with Harry and Meghan reportedly remaining non-working royals, what will happen with their security?
Prince Harry Previously Said He Wouldn't Bring His Family To The UK Over Safety Fears
Prince Harry has spent years fighting over the level of security afforded to him and his family when they are in Britain, and previously made it very clear that he didn't feel comfortable bringing Meghan back without what he considered adequate protection.
In the 2024 ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial, Prince Harry discussed his fears that negative press coverage could inspire someone to attack his wife, saying: "All it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff, to act on what they have read."
"And whether that is a knife or acid... they are genuine concerns for me," he continued, adding: "It's one of the reasons why I won't bring my wife back to this country."
Harry also lost his legal challenge over changes to his U.K. security arrangements in 2025, after arguing that he and his family had been treated unfairly following their decision to step back as working royals. At the time of writing, the precise security arrangements surrounding the family's extended U.K. stay haven't been made public, so it's unclear whether anything has changed behind the scenes.
The Move Comes Amid Reports Of Professional Struggles In Hollywood
Prince Harry and Meghan's reported return also comes following years of mediocre – some might even say failing – post-royal business ventures.
Their Spotify partnership came to an end in 2023 after just one season of Meghan's Archetypes podcast, while Prince Harry's Netflix docuseries Polo failed to make the streamer's global Top 10 following its release in 2024. More recently, Meghan's With Love, Meghan lifestyle series came to an end on Netflix after just two seasons, while her podcast partnership with Lemonada Media also concluded.
The couple still have projects in development through Archewell Productions and served as executive producers on the 2026 Girl Scout documentary Cookie Queens, although it didn't receive great reviews. Meghan's controversial As Ever lifestyle brand has also repeatedly come under fire, fueling speculation that one struggling business venture after another could be contributing to their reported return.
There has also been speculation about whether Harry's costly legal battles have put additional pressure on the Sussexes' finances. After losing his latest U.K. privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, Harry and his fellow claimants were left facing a potentially multimillion-pound legal bill, adding to questions about the Sussexes' finances.
The couple's Hollywood social circle has come under fire too. They made headlines after attending Kris Jenner's star-studded 70th birthday party in November 2025, when pictures of them were subsequently removed from Jenner and Kim Kardashian's Instagram posts after they reportedly asked for them to be taken down. Jenner, a very powerful force in Hollywood, reportedly wasn't happy about this and allegedly made her feelings known to many A-listers in her social circle.
This is separate to previous reports that Prince Harry and Meghan's neighbors and other people in Hollywood are sick of them. "There is not only no appetite left for them in L.A., but they've also worn through any good will they had," a Hollywood insider previously spilled to Page Six. "People are sick of them, the act has gotten stale," another insider added at the time.
Royal Fans Question Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Reported UK Return
The internet understandably had a lot of thoughts about the news, with Prince Harry's ongoing fight over security being a major talking point, especially given his previous comments about not feeling that his family was safe in the U.K.
"So Harry said his family wasn't safe there... now he moving them there? Make it make sense," one person wrote on X. "Thought they didn't feel safe in the UK?! Or are they broke and need Daddy money?!" questioned a second, as a third simply said: "I wonder what changed."
"Not sure UK wants them back?" a fourth asked, while a fifth speculated: "Hoping to force the royal family's hand on reconciliation & force RAVEC's hand with security. The jam business is on life support & Netflix/Spotify/Lemonada have dropped them. An epic fail."
Others focused on the Sussexes' Hollywood fortunes. "Are they broke now that they need to go back to a country they both hate so much?" a sixth asked. "Embarrassing for both of them after trashing the royal family," a seventh critic wrote. "This is probably the quickest Hollywood failure I've ever seen. Crawling back to the UK," an eighth added.
"They ran out of money and were largely ignored over here so time to head back and mooch off the people and country you dragged through the mud. The UK is beyond stupid these days," slammed a ninth, as a tenth sarcastically wrote: "Oh thank goodness; I've been waiting for this news with the same anticipation I have for my next bout of hemorrhoids. I can only assume they've run out of money and fame." "Not shocking at all: they've failed at everything and are broke," added an eleventh.
And inevitably, Piers Morgan also came up, with a twelfth joking: "Someone check on @piersmorgan during this difficult time." "At least we know what @piersmorgan will be talking about for the next 77 months," a thirteenth quipped.
There were also many people who supported the move, especially given King Charles' health and the opportunity for Archie and Lilibet to get to know their grandfather and cousins.
"I'm happy for Harry and the children. I do not believe it is good for children to grow up in Hollywood," wrote one People reader. "I am also surprised that, apparently, security is no longer an issue. It was a huuuuge issue, one that cost Prince Harry a lot of money in legal fees, and one that cost his children (and himself) years of any form of relationship with his family. What changed? Is his tantrum over?" they added.
"I'm happy they're going back to the U.K. Family is important. And hopefully at some point Prince William and Princess Catherine will come around and get along," wrote a second, as a third said: "I believe Harry misses his father, his country/home and wants his children to know their grandfather and other relatives. I truly hope there can be a reconciliation at some point with Prince William."
"Honestly, I am so happy for them. I think this move is just what they all need, especially the children. As mentioned previously, they will have so much more family around to get to know, and for King Charles, I think it's wonderful that he will have his grandchildren nearby," echoed a fourth.
