Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving California to move back to UK

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly leaving their home in Montecito to move back to Britain. Reporting detailed by Yahoo News indicates the relocation is scheduled for later this month, just years after the couple stepped away from senior royal duties in an unprecedented move that British tabloids dubbed Megxit. Additional reporting from CA notes the incoming transition follows a family trip to the United Kingdom, bringing an end to the family's primary residency in California. The couple wed in 2018 and stepped away from their senior-royal duties in 2020 to head west, living in the U.S. Since 2020 amid feuds with members of the royal family and the British press.

The return comes as Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, prepare to begin school in September. According to the Los Angeles Times, the family will put down roots in an undisclosed location, and the children's school will be kept under wraps. While the couple will maintain their Montecito chateau and a getaway property in Portugal, they will reside at a private, non-royal home outside of London in the U.K. Harry and Meghan are not set to resume any royal duties.

Media additions

Questions surrounding security and family dynamics immediately surround the move. Prince Harry has previously said that Buckingham Palace prevented the safe return of him and his family because it refused to provide security. It remains unclear what security arrangements the family will have now that they are moving back. A U.K. Home Office spokesperson told NBC News that it is their long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security.

King Charles welcomes the opportunity to spend more time together as a family following a recent successful reunion last month — marking the first time Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet had seen their grandfather King Charles III since 2022, or in more than four years. However, King Charles reportedly did not learn of the move until Sunday, according to British outlets including The Telegraph and The Sun. Meanwhile, Prince William was apparently blindsided by the news, according to Cosmopolitan, and Harry and his brother remain estranged.

Frogmore Cottage remains vacant after King Charles formally evicted the couple in 2023 following the publication of Harry's dishy tell-all book, Spare. Prior to the eviction, the couple were still using the property for visits, but it remains unclear whether the couple plans to cozy up anywhere near the grounds of the Home Park.

During their time in the United States, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tackled a variety of lifestyle, media, and entertainment projects. Their ventures included the 2022 Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, a production deal with Spotify through their production company Archewell Audio — reportedly worth $20 million, that yielded the podcast Archetypes in 2022, a lifestyle series titled With Love, Meghan released in 2025, and a documentary about Girl Scout cookies titled Cookie Queens produced by the couple. These ventures were met with mixed reviews at best and outright hostility at worst.

Recent Developments and Background

• 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry.
• 2020: The couple steps away from senior royal duties and relocates to the United States.
• 2022: The couple releases the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan and the Spotify podcast Archetypes.
• 2023: King Charles formally evicts the couple from Frogmore Cottage following the release of Spare.
• 2025: Meghan Markle releases the lifestyle series With Love, Meghan.
• Recent weeks: The family visits the U.K., marking the children's first reunion with King Charles since 2022, or in over four years.
• Upcoming: The family is scheduled to move to a private, non-royal U.K. Residence this month ahead of the children starting school in September.

As the family prepares for their relocation back to Britain, this transition alters their lifestyle away from Southern California culture while ensuring they will not resume any official royal duties. Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Times, and HuffPost reached out to the U.K. Home Office, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and Harry and Meghan's organization for additional comment.