The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have surprised the press, public and their own family yet again with their unexpected announcement that they are planning to move back to the UK. The couple intend to relocate with their children from the US later this month to a private, non-royal residence outside of London.  

The Sussexes’ children, Prince Archie, aged seven, and Princess Lilibet, aged five, are enrolled to start at a British school in September. Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the government welcomed Prince Harry and Meghan moving back to the UK. She said Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s enrolments is a “great endorsement” of the UK’s education system but that it is unlikely that they will go to a local state school.  

When asked whether she had been told in advance, Powell said she found out about it on social media and the news on Wednesday evening “like everybody else”. She said she did not know whether the Prime Minister had been informed in advance. The King did not receive much notice either, having only been informed on Sunday. It is understood that he welcomes the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family in a private and personal capacity.  

There are no current plans for either Prince Harry or Meghan to resume their roles as working royals and they will remain as private individuals. The Sussexes left the UK and stepped back from their royal duties in early 2020, settling in California in March that year. Family relations have been strained ever since, with their visit to the King and Queen in July being a key development in the family dynamic. The Palace described the meeting at the King’s private home in Gloucestershire as a “private family occasion”. It was the first time the King had seen his grandchildren in person in more than four years, and the first time Prince Harry and Meghan had been to the UK together since 2022 when they attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.  

Last year, Harry lost a legal challenge over the levels of security he and his family are entitled to while in the UK. It is unclear what provisions might be made for their security and safety once they return to the UK full time.  

“I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”

Many are pointing out this move as a dramatic U turn from the Duke’s position on living in the UK in recent history. In May 2025, regarding his security concerns, he said: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.  

“And the things that they’re gonna miss is, well, everything. 

“I love my country, I always have, despite what some people in that country have done. 

“And I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show, you know, my children my homeland,” he added. 

Thus far, the press surrounding the return of the Sussexes has been fairly positive, indeed far more positive than it tends to be in its coverage of the couple’s activities in the US. Furthermore, despite the surprise, the reaction from the Palace and the Government has also been positive. It is possible that the return of the Sussexes back home might herald a new dawn for their public image, especially due to their long-standing philanthropic efforts, which will likely be more directed towards UK charities. 

“It is possible that the return of the Sussexes back home might herald a new dawn for their public image”

There is yet to be a statement from Prince William and Kate Middleton on the Sussexes’ return. Tensions have historically been particularly high between the two couples, and according to sources the Prince and Princess of Wales feel ‘blindsided’ by the Sussexes’ announcement. Reconciling, or at least coexisting, alongside William and Kate will be a big point of personal but also PR interest for the California couple.  

Their return to the UK has been mocked by a number of MAGA allies after reports surfaced that the Duke and Duchess’s decision to return is due to their disagreements with the Trump administration. However, it is more credibly thought that the couple are moving to the UK to be closer to Harry’s family, especially due to the age of the King and the state of his health.