Archie and Lilibet are set to attend British schools as the Sussexes begin an extended stay outside London—but royal duties aren’t part of the plan.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
August 26, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the UK with Archie and Lilibet six years after stepping away from royal duties.
- The children will attend British schools while the family lives outside London, but the Sussexes will keep their California home and do not plan to resume royal duties.
- The move brings Harry closer to preparations for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, while Meghan develops As Ever and discusses a possible role in Netflix’s The Gentlemen.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are officially back on British soil. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in the United Kingdom with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on Wednesday, August 26, marking the family’s return six years after they left the country and stepped away from life as working members of the British royal family.
According to CNN, the family flew privately from California, and their flight landed at Birmingham Airport around lunchtime. The Sussexes traveled aboard a Bombardier Global Express XRS. A representative for Harry and Meghan declined to confirm their movements to CNN, but their arrival comes one week after news broke that the family planned to relocate to Britain for an extended period.
Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, have already been enrolled in British schools and are expected to begin classes in September. The family will reportedly live at a private residence outside London, with the Cotswolds emerging as a possible home base. Their dogs are moving as well, although a spokesperson told CNN that the family’s chickens will remain in Montecito. Harry and Meghan are also keeping their California residence, and the move does not signal a return to royal duties.
The relocation represents a striking change for Harry, who said as recently as May 2025 that security concerns made it difficult to imagine bringing his family back. “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” he said after losing a legal challenge related to his police protection.
Harry’s security has been determined on a case-by-case basis since he stopped performing official royal duties, and it remains unclear whether those arrangements have changed.
The family had already tested the waters during a visit to Britain this summer. Archie and Lilibet reunited with King Charles at Highgrove in July for the first time in four years, and the Sussexes also visited Althorp House, the ancestral home of Princess Diana’s family.
Reportedly, Harry had “never really stopped missing home,” with a
Their return also puts both Harry and Meghan closer to major professional projects. Harry is preparing for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham and is expected to continue his work with British charities, including WellChild. Meghan, meanwhile, is continuing to build her As Ever lifestyle company while potentially returning to the career she left behind before marrying Harry.
Despite conflicting reports about whether an acting opportunity had been withdrawn, Meghan remains in discussions for a possible role in the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen.
