Prince Harry and Meghan set to move back to UK with children: Report

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, are planning to return to the United Kingdom with their two children but will not resume their roles as working members of the royal family, British media reported Wednesday.

Their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have reportedly been enrolled at British schools and are expected to begin classes in September, according to The Daily Telegraph. The family plans to live at a private residence outside London rather than a royal property.

Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago, later signing lucrative deals with companies including Netflix and Spotify. Their relationship with the royal family has remained strained, although Harry has recently signalled a desire for reconciliation, particularly to spend more time with his father, King Charles III, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

Charles was reportedly informed of the couple’s plans on Sunday, despite not being told during Harry and Meghan’s visit to the UK last month.

Buckingham Palace has a policy of not commenting on speculation involving non-working members of the royal family. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan also declined to comment.

Relations with royal family remain strained

Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family deteriorated sharply after they left Britain and settled in Montecito, California.

In interviews and Harry’s memoir Spare, the couple detailed their frustrations with royal life and accused palace officials of failing to adequately support Meghan over her mental health struggles. They also alleged that a member of the royal family had made a comment about the potential skin colour of their future child, which they described as racist.

Tensions were further fuelled by Harry’s legal battles with British newspapers. The prince has accused tabloid publishers of illegally accessing his phone and invading his privacy. He has lost several lawsuits, including a case against the publisher of the Daily Mail.

Harry now faces a potential legal bill running into millions of pounds after a court ruled that he and other claimants were liable for the publisher’s legal costs. Associated Newspapers has said its legal costs amounted to £34.5 million ($47 million).

Harry seeks reconciliation

Harry has also been involved in a long-running dispute with the British government over security arrangements for himself and his family during visits to the UK.

After losing a legal challenge over his police protection, Harry said he wanted to repair relations with his family.

“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” Harry told the BBC, adding that he did not know “how much longer my father has.”

A tentative reconciliation appeared to take place last month when Harry returned to Britain for charity engagements. Meghan and their children joined him for part of the visit, and the family spent time with King Charles at his Highgrove estate in western England.

It was reportedly the first time Archie and Lilibet had seen their grandfather since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

However, relations between Harry and his older brother, Prince William, remain tense. Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent, said the reported return could further pressure William to consider reconciliation.

“In the short term, Harry will be able to deepen his rapprochement with his father,” Hunt told the Press Association, adding that Harry’s return could make it more difficult for William to avoid repairing their relationship.