Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are returning to the United Kingdom with their children, as confirmed by Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The move, first reported by The Telegraph and The Sun, sees the Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocating with their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, while maintaining their status as private citizens. Although the specific return date is not officially announced, media sources suggest it will be in time for the children to commence school in September.
The decision to return to the UK comes after Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as full-time working royals in March 2020. Subsequently, they moved to California following a brief stay in Canada. The couple’s relationship with the Royal Family had soured due to public criticisms of the monarchy, leading to a strained dynamic. Harry expressed discontent with the lack of security arrangements for his family in the UK but emphasized that he never intended to abandon his responsibilities.
In a legal setback, Prince Harry was part of a group of prominent British figures who lost privacy lawsuits against the publisher of The Daily Mail in July. Despite the loss, Harry remained vocal about the impact of media intrusion on Meghan’s well-being. The judgment was met with disappointment by Harry, who criticized the court’s decision as unjust.
On a positive note, there seemed to be a thaw in relations between Harry and his father, King Charles, following a brief meeting in September. The family recently visited the UK, allowing King Charles to reunite with his grandchildren after a considerable period. The King, who had been undergoing cancer treatment, showed positive progress, prompting a shift to a precautionary phase in his medical care last December. The Palace expressed eagerness for the Sussex family to spend more personal time with the King in the future.