Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are returning to the United Kingdom, a source familiar with the couple’s plans tells NBC News.
The couple, along with children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, have been living in Montecito, California, since taking a step back from their royal duties in 2021.
King Charles III was first made aware of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s plans to move across the pond on Sunday, Aug. 16, the source says.
The news comes after the family visited with the king and Queen Camilla in July. The reunion marked the first time the British royals had seen their grandchildren in four years. According to The Telegraph, Harry and Meghan’s move was not discussed during the visit.
The source tells NBC News that the king welcomes the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family in a private and personal capacity.
As of now, Harry and Meghan will continue to be non-working royals and private individuals, the source says.
Over the summer, the Sussex family traveled to the U.K. for a number of public events, including the promotion of the 2027 Invictus Games. The king and queen then hosted them at Highgrove House, their private residence in Gloucestershire, England, on July 10, Buckingham Palace confirmed to NBC News.
Prior to this summer, the last time the king and queen saw Archie and Lilibet was in 2022 at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
Since the family left the U.K., Harry has been attempting to repair his relationship with his father. In 2024, the king announced that he was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer.
In September of 2025, the father and son reunited for the first time after 19 months apart.
In a May 2025 BBC interview, Harry said he “would love reconciliation” with his family. “There’s no point in continuing to fight. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. It would be nice to reconcile,” he added.
After the Sussex’s family trip over the summer, Meghan shared photos from their overseas holiday, including a visit to Princess Diana’s childhood home.
Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based senior editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.
