Lady Eliza Spencer hopes to reunite with the Sussexes as their extended stay brings Archie and Lilibet closer to Princess Diana’s family.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
August 30, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Princess Diana’s niece Lady Eliza Spencer welcomed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to Britain, calling it “exciting” and saying she hopes to visit them.
- Harry and Meghan plan an extended U.K. stay with Archie and Lilibet enrolled in a British school, though they will keep their Montecito home and remain outside the working royal family.
- The move brings the family closer to Diana’s relatives and supports Harry’s work on the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham as Meghan discusses a possible role in Netflix’s “The Gentlemen.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have only been back in Britain for a matter of days, but at least one branch of Harry’s family is already making it clear that they’re happy to have the Sussexes closer to home.
Lady Eliza Spencer, the niece of the late Princess Diana and Harry’s first cousin, publicly welcomed the family’s return after Harry, Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, landed in Birmingham on August 26. Asked about the move during an event in London that same day, Spencer didn’t hedge.
“Absolutely, it’s exciting!” she said, per InStyle. “We would love to be able to find some time to visit.”
There could even be some shop talk between Spencer and Meghan. The 34-year-old model was in London launching her own rosé when she was asked whether she and the Duchess of Sussex—whose As Ever brand launched its first rosé last year—might trade winemaking tips. “Maybe!” Spencer replied.
Harry has remained close to Princess Diana’s side of the family throughout the upheaval surrounding his exit from royal life. That connection was on display earlier this summer, when Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet visited Althorp, the Spencer family estate where Diana grew up and is buried.
The children also spent time there with Harry’s uncle Charles Spencer and other members of their extended family. Harry has also made it a priority to connect Archie and Lilibet with that part of their history.
The family’s summer trip also included a visit with King Charles at Highgrove, where Archie and Lilibet reunited with their grandfather for the first time in four years.
Now, those visits won’t require a transatlantic flight. Harry and Meghan have returned to Britain for an extended stay six years after leaving the country for North America. Their children are enrolled in a British school beginning in September, while the family is expected to live in a private, non-royal residence outside London.
They are keeping their Montecito home, and neither Harry nor Meghan is returning as a working member of the British royal family.
The move also comes as both pursue work in the U.K. Harry is preparing for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, while Meghan remains in discussions for a potential role in the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen. Those conversations remain ongoing despite conflicting claims that the role had been withdrawn.
