Prince Harry and Meghan to return to UK as non-working royals

London,UPDATED: Aug 20, 2026 13:56 IST

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to move back to the UK with their two children later this month, but will remain non-working members of the royal family, according to UK media reports. Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, moved to the US with his family six years ago after stepping back from frontline royal duties.

Reports late on Wednesday said the couple are expected to live in a non-royal residence outside London and have enrolled their children, seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, in a British school from the start of the new term in September. There have been no official statements from Buckingham Palace or from representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Buckingham Palace said it does not comment on developments related to non-working members of the royal family. However, it is understood that the King was made aware of the move on Sunday. The move was first reported by The Daily Telegraph and The Sun.

The matter had not been discussed when Harry and Meghan, 45, were hosted at Charles' Highgrove home in Gloucestershire for a "private family occasion" last month, when the King met his two grandchildren after a long gap. While the King is expected to welcome the chance to see more of his younger son and his family in a private and personal capacity, there will be no change to their role and status as private individuals. This is seen as being in line with the couple's wishes and the agreement in place since 2020, with no "half in and half out" option for official royal duties.

Harry has previously spoken about serious concerns over his family's security and had gone to court in an effort to secure high-level armed protection despite being a non-working royal. The UK Home Office said the government's protective security system is "rigorous and proportionate". A spokesperson said, "It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security."

After losing a court battle over the issue last year, Harry said he hoped to rebuild relations with his family. "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore... I don't know how much longer my father has," he told the BBC, referring to the King's ongoing cancer treatment.

The Sussexes have had a difficult relationship with the royal family since moving to Montecito in southern California in 2020. Harry, who remains fifth in line to the British throne, has also had a strained relationship with his elder brother William. In his memoir Spare, he said he left Britain to escape the restrictions of royal life and criticised palace officials for being insensitive to Meghan's mental health. There were also allegations that at least one member of the royal family had expressed racist views when Meghan, who is bi-racial, was pregnant with their first child. The palace described the claims as "concerning" and said that "recollections may vary" and the matter would be dealt with privately.

In summary, media reports say Harry and Meghan are set to return to the UK with their children while continuing as private individuals outside official royal duties, with no formal confirmation yet from the palace or the couple's representatives.

With PTI Inputs

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