Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Set To Begin a New Chapter in Britain

Aug 20, 2026 by apost team

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are establishing a private home base in Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, a major change for a family that has primarily lived in California since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.

PEOPLE reported on August 19, 2026, that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex plan to spend an extended period in the United Kingdom and that Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, are set to attend school there. The family is expected to retain its Montecito, California, residence while living in a private, non-royal property in Britain. The Associated Press and The Guardian also reported the planned return.

The arrangement does not signal a restoration of the couple’s former royal roles. The Royal Family’s official website states that Harry and Meghan stepped back as working members in January 2020, while Buckingham Palace confirmed in February 2021 that they would not return as working royals.

For the children, the move creates a stronger everyday connection to their father’s home country. Archie was born in London on May 6, 2019, while Lilibet was born in California in June 2021. Their schooling in Britain would therefore represent a new chapter in their upbringing rather than a return to a life they previously knew.

For Harry and Meghan, the new base offers a way to combine an independent family life with closer access to relatives, friends and charitable work in Britain.

The move also restores a practical link to a country that remains central to Harry’s identity and public work. It gives the family a stable place to stay in Britain without relying on royal residences or turning their private life into an official royal arrangement.

Harry’s ties to Britain have remained visible through his charitable work. He founded the Invictus Games in 2014 and continues as patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, while his long association with WellChild has kept him connected to causes supporting seriously ill children and their families. A British base could make those commitments easier to maintain without changing his status as a non-working royal.

Security, however, has been central to the family’s relationship with Britain. In May 2025, the Court of Appeal dismissed Harry’s challenge concerning the security arrangements applied to him during U.K. visits. In a BBC interview after the ruling, Harry said,

“I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious.”

That statement is particularly significant in light of the family’s planned return. Harry had also said in the same interview that he could not see a way to bring Meghan and the children back to Britain under the security circumstances then in place. The reported decision to establish a British residence therefore marks a notable shift, although no public evidence establishes that his security arrangements have fundamentally changed.

The family’s move should not be interpreted as a return to royal service. Instead, it appears to create a more flexible transatlantic life: Meghan can continue her independent business and media work, while Harry can maintain closer contact with British charities and the Invictus community.

For Archie and Lilibet, the change may be the most consequential. A British school, a home in their father’s country and greater proximity to extended family could shape their childhood while the Sussexes continue the independent path they chose in 2020.

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