By Michael Holden
LONDON, Aug 26 (Reuters) – Prince Harry and his family arrived back in Britain on Wednesday, the BBC reported, days after it was revealed the couple were relocating six years after quitting royal duties and moving to the United States.
Last week, Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, surprised even their close family when it was disclosed that they would move back from California to somewhere outside London for what was described as an extended period of time.
Their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, will start school in Britain in September. Precise details about where they will be based or the school the children will attend are being kept private.
However, they will not be living in a royal residence or carrying out official duties.
The BBC said they had landed in Britain after flying in from California privately on Wednesday. There was no immediate comment from Harry’s spokesperson.
COUPLE LEFT UK IN 2020
The couple left for the U.S. in 2020, stepping down from official royal duties to chart independent careers, but they never left the headlines as Harry accused the royals of neglect, the tabloid press of ruining his life and the government of failing to provide enough security for him to ever return home.
King Charles only found out about their return days before the decision became public, and the couple will remain non-working royals, as was agreed with the late Queen Elizabeth.
Harry and his father’s relationship has improved in recent months, with the Duke’s family visiting Britain last month, allowing Charles to see his grandchildren for the first time since 2022.
But Harry is still barely on speaking terms with his brother, the heir-to-the-throne Prince William, and with other senior royals also distrustful of Meghan, the potential for future family disagreements, played out in the media spotlight, remains.
Harry married Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in 2018, amid hopes that his union with the former actor would reinvigorate the historic institution for a new generation.
But it was not long before cracks in their relationship with the rest of the royal family began to emerge. Two years later, they announced they would step down from official duties and move to the U.S., saying they wanted to leave behind the “toxic” press scrutiny they faced in Britain.
They settled in the wealthy seaside enclave of Montecito, near Santa Barbara, California, a home they will maintain.
The reason for their change of heart is unclear. Some commentators have speculated that their business ventures have struggled, saying their appeal in the U.S. is waning and the return might boost their earning power.
The announcement of their return came a day before a London court ruling meant Harry could be liable to pay millions of dollars to the publisher of the Daily Mail after a failed privacy lawsuit.
Media reports have said Meghan is in talks about a return to acting, although neither her representatives nor those involved with the mooted TV drama have commented, and it was later reported the offer had been withdrawn because of a backlash.
Meanwhile Harry has always been clear he wants his children to spend more time in Britain and to see their grandfather, especially given the 77-year-old monarch is still undergoing treatment for cancer.
“It’s really worth remembering this might not be some terribly cynical move or some desperate move, it might be a very human move — ‘I want to be near my dad’,” a former senior royal aide said.
(Reporting by Muvija M, writing by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Michael Holden and Gareth Jones)
