Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to return to the UK has been finalised after years of private discussions, with their children’s schooling emerging as a key factor, according to The Sunday Times. The move is expected to bring Harry closer to King Charles but does not appear to signal an immediate reconciliation with Prince William.
The Sussexes are expected to spend an extended period in Britain after six years in California. However, sources told The Sunday Times that the move is not necessarily permanent and could last six months, a year or longer.
Harry and Meghan had discussed returning to Britain for several years but reportedly waited for confirmation that Archie and Lilibet had secured school places before finalising their plans.
“They had to wait to be told whether or not their children had got in,” a source close to the couple told The Sunday Times.
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, are expected to attend the same independent school from next month. The couple has asked that the school’s name and location remain private.
King Charles was reportedly the first member of the royal family told about the Sussexes’ decision.
Their July visit to Highgrove, where Charles saw Archie and Lilibet for the first time in four years, is understood to have strengthened Harry and Meghan’s plans to return.
The move could allow Harry to spend more time with his father, who is continuing cancer treatment.
The UK return does not appear to mean a reconciliation between Harry and Prince William.
According to The Sunday Times, the brothers have reportedly not spoken since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.
A royal source described William’s relationship with Harry as being in “cold storage”.
“If those issues don’t heal, there’s a limit to how much they can be brought back into the royal fold,” the source said.
Harry and Meghan are expected to continue as private citizens rather than return as working members of the royal family.
A source close to King Charles said the couple had reassured the palace that they would pursue their own charitable and commercial activities without seeking to rejoin the royal fold.
However, their return could create tensions if their activities begin to resemble an alternative royal court.
