The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to return to Britain

They’re back — the Sussexes are to return to the United Kingdom later this month with their children Archie and Lilibet.  

Six years after the couple dropped what was described as a “nuclear bomb” within the royal family, living in a self-imposed exile, Harry and Meghan are to return to their former home. The unprecedented move has shocked royal watchers around the world. Those close to the couple say they “have built the independent life they envisioned” during their time abroad, PEOPLE Magazine reports.

The Royal News Organisation understands that the family will move back to the United Kingdom within two weeks, into a “non-royal” residence outside London, marking a “significant turning point” for the family. The move will be for “an extended period”, and it is unknown if permanent. One location on the lips of many reporters last evening was the English Cotswolds, 800 square miles of picturesque, rolling hills where many high-status individuals live, including Lord and Lady Beckham, and it is also close to the Spencer Family Estate at Althorp.

While King Charles was “unaware” until notified this past Sunday, His Majesty “welcomes” the opportunity to see the Sussex family more in a private and personal capacity. However, the King insists that there is “no alteration” to the Duke and Duchess’s status as private individuals, with no future “half-in/half-out” role, in line with the couple’s “clearly expressed wishes and agreement over past years”. It also appears there was no mention of the family’s sudden return during their rapprochement at Highgrove House in July – Archie’s and Lilibet’s first reunion with their grandfather in four years.

The Duke and Duchess’s children, Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (5), are understood to have already been enrolled in school, with the children expected to begin in September. The location of the couple’s new home and the children’s new school have not been disclosed due to security concerns.

Harry and Meghan will retain their home in Montecito, California as well as their property on the Costa Terra resort in Melides, an hour south of Lisbon, Portugal.

Questions remain about the family’s security arrangements. Harry had previously sued the Home Office over its decision to pull his publicly funded police protection when he and Meghan stepped away from royal duties in 2020. After a court ruling, followed by an appeal by the King’s second son, a Home Office committee said that there was “no basis for publicly funded security support for the Duke and Duchess within Great Britain.” According to Harry’s lawyer, he has faced at least two serious security threats.

The Duke has previously argued that the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) is in desperate need of conducting a fresh review, which, according to Harry, has not been done in over six years for the family’s protection.

At present, the Sussexes are without 24-hour security; instead, the couple are provided with a “case-by-case security assessment”, which means that whenever they visit the UK, their schedule and any specific threats they face are evaluated individually to determine whether and what state protection is required. Because Harry and Meghan will remain as private individuals and non-working royals, the Home Office has indicated that there is no change to this long-standing security framework.

A Home Office spokesperson said on Wednesday,

The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate.

It is our longstanding policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.

When will we see the Sussexes on British soil? It remains unclear, as the couple intend to maintain their semi-quasi-celebrity status, which they have become accustomed to in California. Harry is expected to attend events around WellChild and Invictus in September.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were also informed of the Sussexes’ move, it is understood.