It was only a week ago that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the shocking announcement that they were moving back to the UK. This was no small move, either, with their children, Archie and Lilibet, being enrolled in a British school, ready to start in September. What wasn’t clear was when they would make the official move back.
That’s happened. CBC News shared that flight tracking information showed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s private jet landed just before noon local time. They landed at Birmingham International Airport on Aug. 26, 2026, after six years of living in the United States.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Arrive in the UK
GettyThe move was kept relatively quiet, with many not realizing that they had landed until after it had happened. Something that Prince Harry had always complained about was the British tabloids and how paparazzi would follow him around relentlessly. Keeping the move back to the UK as secretive as possible helped to avoid that.
On top of that, the non-royal home the family will live in is also being kept as a closely guarded secret. There are no details on the school that their children will attend for now.
How long the two will remain in the UK remains to be seen. While some have stated that moving the children back and forth during the school year wouldn’t be good for them, the non-working royals have chosen to keep their Montecito, California home. They also have a vacation home in Portugal, which they will keep.
The effect a move like this has on children is something that Prince Harry chatted with singer Joss Stone about during the 2025 WellChild Awards. She had just moved back from Nashville, Tennessee, and she told Hello! Magazine that the prince “was genuinely interested in our move home.” That seemed to be a hint that he was considering this move for some time.
Prince Harry Will Not Return as a Working Royal
GettyThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as working royals back in 2020, before they made a move to the United States. This was done via an agreement with the late Queen Elizabeth, and King Charles, Harry’s father, committed to that agreement as well. While he is looking forward to spending more time with his grandchildren, he has also shared that Prince Harry will not return to the status of working royal.
Just recently, Prince Harry stepped down from the board of directors of African Parks, a charitable organization that has faced scrutiny and issues over recent years. He is still committed to the conservation of wildlife, but is ready to see African Parks handle that with a new leadership team.
He is still working with UK-based charities, including WellChild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers. Being in the UK will give him more time to spend working with them. With the 2027 Invictus Games being held in Birmingham and him being part of that community, it’s likely that he will also spend more time working behind the scenes there.
Meanwhile, Markle is expected to continue growing her As Ever lifestyle brand, which is where the questions come about how long they will remain in the UK. If her brand had already taken off, it would make sense to move back to the UK. As of right now, California would have made more sense for growing such a brand. Only time will tell.
