Prince Harry and Meghan plan to move back to the UK, but will it last?
Author, Daniela Relph
Role, senior royal correspondent, BBC
Published 9 hours ago
Reading time: 3 minutes
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to move back to the UK, the BBC has learned.
The Daily Telegraph and The Sun first reported that Prince Harry and Meghan plan to move from the United States to a private, non-royal residence outside London later this month.
The couple's children - Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 - have registered to attend a British school in September.
King Charles III (King Charles III) was informed of the relocation plan on Sunday (August 18). There are currently no plans for Prince Harry or Meghan to resume royal duties.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have delivered a lot of surprising news over the past few years. Harry and Meghan have become experts at breaking the rules, making unexpected decisions and making waves.
Now, there is more news that they will move back to the United Kingdom from the United States.
Why are Harry and Meghan moving now?
It was a relatively sudden decision.
I spoke to a number of people familiar with the couple. Although there had been discussions about the possibility of extending my stay in the UK, the decision to move back was only made recently.
Harry's family's visit to the UK in July was of great significance.
It is said that in addition to spending time with the King at Highgrove, Harry, Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet also enjoyed spending time with members of the family of Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
The children met their aunts, uncles and cousins. The trip to Europe also included a stop in Portugal, where they have a home. Someone described the trip to me as a "really wonderful time" for the family.
It was this experience that turned what had only been a possible move back to the UK into a definite decision.
From what I understand, the move was not due to any problems they were having in the US. The decision was driven by the couple's desire to spend more time in Europe, to be closer to Harry's family, and for their children to be educated in the UK.
Archie and Lilibet's school has been chosen. The new term starts before the second week of September in almost all schools in England. The Sussexes need to settle in and are therefore expected to return to the UK within the next 10 days.
Where will Harry and Meghan live?
The exact location has yet to be revealed, but they won't be living in London.
They are likely to give up their multimillion-dollar mansions in California for the slightly chillier surroundings of the British countryside.
There were rumors that they would settle in the Cotswolds or Northampton area, near the Spencer family estate of Althorp.
What does this mean for the British royal family?
The King of England did not participate in the decision made by his son and daughter-in-law.
This came as a surprise to him and the wider royal family. The King was informed on Sunday that Harry and Meghan would be moving back to the UK.
He is said to have welcomed the chance to spend more time with the Sussexes privately.
However, the move should not be seen as a harbinger of mending relations between Harry and his brother, William, Prince of Wales.
Their relationship remains fractured, with no clear signs of reconciliation in sight.
There has been no official comment from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
This is not surprising, as the relationship between the brothers has been severely damaged. William has never forgiven Harry for speaking out about the family's internal divisions in his memoir "Spare" and in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
To put it mildly, Prince William is unlikely to welcome Harry and Meghan back to the UK because of the disruption it would cause and the feeling of forming another competing team.
Despite this, they are not expected to resume royal duties. They remain private citizens, as well as members of the royal family who do not perform official duties.
The royal family has no interest in creating a "half-in, half-out" arrangement for the duke and duchess.
Any work they do in the UK will not be related to official royal duties.
Meghan has always wanted to expand her As Ever brand beyond the United States. Will we see Meghan's As Ever jam on supermarket shelves in the future alongside the King's Duchy Organic products?
How will their security be arranged?
This is really not clear.
In the United States, the Duke of Sussex has hired a private security team to protect them. When I inquired whether the team would be moving to the UK with them, I received no response.
There was also no response on whether they would receive official police protection in the UK, or whether the years-long dispute between Harry and the UK Home Office over his desire to have official protection while in the UK has been resolved.
Last year, after losing a legal challenge over his security arrangements in the UK, Harry told the BBC: "I don't see the possibility of him bringing his wife and children back to the UK under the current circumstances."
Will this be a permanent move?
Not yet, but according to my source, they are expected to be in the UK for "an extended period of time".
Britain will be their home...at least for now.
