Return without a crown: Why are Harry and Meghan going to the UK again

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to return to the UK with their children six years after giving up their duties as senior members of the royal family. The couple intend to settle in a private house outside London, but will continue to own real estate in the United States and Portugal. Their son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet have already enrolled in British schools and are due to start classes in September. Why the Dukes of Sussex decided to return, how Charles III and Prince William reacted to this, and whether the couple will be able to participate in the life of the monarchy again — in the Izvestia article.

Harry and Meghan's return to Britain — what is known

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children are due to move to the UK at the end of August 2026. According to Reuters and the Associated Press, the family plans to spend a long time in the country. Seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet are already enrolled in British schools. The names of educational institutions, as well as the location of the family's new home, are not disclosed for security reasons. It is only known that the residence will be located outside London and will not become part of the royal property fund.

At the same time, returning does not mean a final rejection of life in the United States. The couple will keep the mansion in Montecito, California, where they moved in 2020, as well as real estate in Portugal. Thus, it is more about creating a second permanent home and a British base for the family, rather than moving completely from the United States.

The Dukes of Sussex will also not return to their official duties. They will remain private individuals and non-working members of the royal family. The agreements reached during the so-called Sandringham summit with Queen Elizabeth II in January 2020 will not be reviewed.

At that time, the monarch refused to support the model proposed by the couple, in which they could partially fulfill royal duties while simultaneously concluding commercial contracts. British media sources emphasize that the option of "half inside, half out" will not be offered to the Dukes now.

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He will also be evicted from the royal residence.

Why did Harry and Meghan decide to return

The most obvious and confirmed reason is related to the education of children. Archie and Lilibet will start the school year in the UK in September. Harry has repeatedly said before that he would like to keep his children connected to their homeland and give them the opportunity to grow up not only as Americans, but also as British.

According to royal historian Ed Owens, the decision could be related to several circumstances at once. Among them are Harry's desire to reconcile with relatives, the education of children and the desire to give them the opportunity to get to know the British part of the family better. The expert also admitted that the current situation in the UK might seem to the spouses more suitable for raising children than the increasing social polarization in the United States.

Another factor is the state of health of Charles III. In 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that the monarch had been diagnosed with cancer, without revealing his appearance. The King continues to receive treatment. Harry previously admitted that he does not know how much time his father has left, and would like Archie and Lilibet to see their grandfather more often.

In July 2026, Harry, Meghan and the children visited the UK and met with Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Highgrove country residence. It was the king's first meeting with his grandchildren in four years. According to AP, the issue of a future move was not discussed during the visit, but the meeting was one of the signs of warming relations.

In addition, Harry's return will allow him to be more actively involved in British charity projects. In July 2027, Birmingham will host the Invictus Games, an international competition for wounded military personnel and veterans. The tournament will return to the UK for the first time since 2014. About 550 athletes from more than 25 countries are expected to take part in it.

At the same time, the allegations in the British press that the couple is returning solely because of commercial problems in the United States cannot yet be considered an established fact. Reuters notes that the couple's American projects had mixed results: Harry's memoir "Spare" became a bestseller, but the agreement with Spotify was terminated, and a number of television projects were not continued. At the same time, the couple's collaboration with Netflix has been preserved, and Megan continues to develop her own brand As Ever.

How Charles III reacted

Buckingham Palace has not officially commented on the return of the Dukes of Sussex. Harry's representative also refrained from making public statements. According to People, Charles III was informed of the couple's decision only on Sunday, shortly before the information appeared in the media. As noted, he welcomes the opportunity to meet with his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren more often.

The monarch's position actually separates the family and institutional sides of the issue. Charles III is ready to continue a private rapprochement with his youngest son, but does not intend to change the structure of the monarchy or return official functions to Harry and Megan.

This means that the couple will not receive a royal residence, maintenance from a Sovereign Grant and a permanent place in the official Windsor calendar. They will retain the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but they will still not use the addresses "His Royal Highness" and "Her Royal Highness" in their professional activities.

What Prince William and Kate Middleton think

The Prince and Princess of Wales were informed of Harry and Meghan's decision, but did not publicly respond to it. Reports from individual British publications about William's anger or discontent are based primarily on commentators' assessments, rather than on statements by the heir to the throne himself or his representatives.

Nevertheless, relations between the brothers remain tense. According to Reuters, Harry and William hardly communicate. The conflict intensified after the interview of the Dukes of Sussex with Oprah Winfrey, the Netflix documentary series and the publication of Harry's memoir "Spare." In the book, the youngest son of Charles III spoke in detail about personal quarrels with his brother and other disagreements within the family.

Craig Prescott, an expert on the British monarchy at Royal Holloway University in London, believes that the palace will have to determine in advance the rules for the coexistence of two families in the same information space. Buckingham Palace may fear that the activities of Harry and Meghan will distract attention from the official work of William and Kate.

However, there are no confirmed plans to meet the brothers yet. The warming of Harry's relationship with his father does not automatically mean reconciliation with William. It is the restoration of contact between the king's sons that is likely to be the most difficult part of the return of the Sussexes.

How did the British perceive the couple's return

The couple will return to a country where attitudes towards them remain predominantly negative. According to a July YouGov survey, 33% of British people have a positive attitude towards Harry, while 58% have a negative attitude. The prince's rating has improved somewhat over the past year, but he remains unpopular.

Meghan is positively assessed by 22% of respondents, while 65% view her negatively. At the same time, the monarchy itself retains the support of the majority: about 60% of respondents expressed a favorable attitude towards the institution of royal power.

The return will also put Harry and Meghan back in the spotlight of the British press, from which they sought to distance themselves when moving to the United States. Royal columnist Afua Hagan, in an interview with Reuters, compared this to returning "to the lion's den," but noted that now the couple better understand the pressure they will face.

Harry has been suing British newspapers for several years over the illegal collection of personal information. Some trials ended in his favor, but in July 2026, he lost a major trial with the publisher of the Daily Mail.