Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the UK for an extended period six years after stepping back from royal duties and relocating to California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will move into a non-royal residence and will not return to official royal duties. Their children, seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, are thought to have enrolled at a British school, with the family planning to remain in the UK until the children complete their education.
King Charles III only learned of their planned return on Sunday, with the move not discussed when he met with Harry just weeks earlier. Royal experts speculate that the move follows the end of lucrative television contracts, financial constraints, public relations mishaps, and strained relationships in Hollywood, with one expert stating the return will "provoke a crisis for the monarchy."
Royal exit and initial streaming deals
In January 2020, the couple announced their intention to step back from senior royal roles, seek financial independence, and spend more time in North America. Following ten days of talks among senior family members, Buckingham Palace confirmed they would step down as working royals and lose their "Royal Highness" titles.
The couple completed their final official engagement at the annual Commonwealth Day service in London in March 2020. They then moved with 10-month-old Archie to Montecito, an affluent enclave in California, in a departure dubbed "Megxit" by news outlets.
In September 2020, streaming platform Netflix announced a multi-year deal with the couple to produce films, series, children's shows, and scripted programming.
Meghan disclosed in a November 2020 essay for The New York Times that she had suffered a miscarriage. She wrote: "After changing his [Archie's] diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second."
In December 2020, the couple signed a multi-year agreement with Spotify through their Archewell Audio company, named after their son, leading to Meghan's podcast Archetypes airing in 2022.
Oprah Winfrey interview and royal split
The couple announced they were expecting their second child in February 2021, releasing a photograph under a tree and issuing a Valentine's Day statement to US Weekly: "We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother."
The following day, they announced a television interview with US host Oprah Winfrey. Four days later, Buckingham Palace confirmed their split from working royal life was permanent and that their royal patronages would be relinquished.
Speaking to host James Corden on The Late Late Show in February 2021, Harry stated he stepped away because the "toxic" British press was destroying his mental health. In March 2021, Buckingham Palace expressed concern over a report in The Times detailing staff bullying allegations against the couple and launched an investigation.
On March 7, 2021, the couple sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a television interview. Meghan revealed she experienced racism while in the UK, including a royal household member speculating about the skin colour of their unborn child, and described mental health struggles where she "just didn't want to be alive anymore." Harry stated he felt "really let down" by King Charles and distanced from his brother, Prince William. Buckingham Palace responded that the issues raised were taken seriously, adding that "some recollections may vary."
Family milestones and Queen Elizabeth's death
Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on June 4, 2021, named after her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and late grandmother Princess Diana.
The family returned to Britain in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee amid an ongoing dispute with the government over police protection. Lilibet celebrated her first birthday during the visit and met members of the royal family.
By late 2022, Harry expanded his work with veterans and mental health initiatives. In September 2022, the couple were in Britain when Queen Elizabeth II died, and Harry attended the funeral and mourning events.
In December 2022, Netflix released the six-part documentary series Harry & Meghan, covering their relationship from courtship to their royal exit. In January 2023, Harry published his memoir Spare, detailing his childhood, relationship with Prince William, drug use, and royal life, which became one of the year's top-selling books.
Commercial projects and charity dispute
Harry attended the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023, seated apart from senior working royals. In June 2023, the couple ended their deal with Spotify. A source told People in August 2023 that the couple were "really happy together" in California, and in September 2023 they took a holiday in Portugal, prompting speculation of a visit to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.
Controversy surrounding Lilibet's name resurfaced in January 2024. Royal biographer Omid Scobie rejected claims that Queen Elizabeth II had not given permission, but royal author Robert Hardman cited a former staff member who stated the Queen was "as angry as I'd ever seen her" after the couple claimed they had consulted her.
Harry flew to Britain in February 2024 following King Charles's cancer diagnosis to meet his father. Later that month, the couple attended Invictus Games training camp events in Whistler, British Columbia.
The couple undertook a three-day visit to Nigeria in May 2024, and attended events on online safety, youth, and women's issues in Colombia in August 2024.
In January 2025, they visited California wildfire evacuees to distribute meals and supplies. They appeared at the Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada, in February 2025, sharing a kiss on stage.
Meghan launched her Netflix show With Love, Meghan on March 4, 2025, which featured cooking, gardening, and hosting tips, but received negative reviews from television critics. On April 2, 2025, she launched lifestyle brand As Ever, previously called American Riviera Orchard, selling out its initial line of jams, teas, and baking mixes within an hour before expanding into alcoholic beverages in June 2025.
Sentebale controversy and return to Britain
On March 25, 2025, Harry resigned from Sentebale, a children's charity he co-founded in 2006, citing a breakdown in relations with board chair Dr Sophie Chandauka. Dr Chandauka accused Harry and former trustees of trying to remove her after she raised concerns about bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir.
In August 2025, the Charity Commission found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment at Sentebale, but criticized both sides for allowing the conflict to become public and damaging the charity's reputation.
The couple made a four-day visit to Australia in April 2026. In July 2026, the family stayed on Tanera Mor, a private island in Scotland bought for £1.7 million in 2017 by hedge fund manager Ian Wace, which inspired the 1973 film The Wicker Man starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, and Britt Ekland.
During the Scottish trip, Harry and Meghan held a secret meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire. The meeting was the first public in-person conversation between father and son in four years, and Charles's first time seeing Archie and Lilibet since 2022.
Later in July 2026, Harry surprised Meghan with a FaceTime call during her appearance on MasterChef Australia. On August 6, 2026, Meghan celebrated her 45th birthday by sharing photos of herself jumping into a pool, thanking followers "for the birthday love."
