Prince Harry and Meghan moving back to U.K.
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are moving back to the U.K., more than six years after they moved to the U.S. and settled into a home in California.
King Charles III was informed of the decision on Sunday, and there are no plans for Harry or Meghan to resume their royal duties, CBS News' partner network BBC News reported. Harry's brother, Prince William, and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, were also told, according to BBC News.
The couple said in January 2020 that they were stepping away from their roles as senior working members of the royal family to become financially independent.
"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity," they said in a statement at the time.
Prince Harry and Meghan now have two children, Archie, born in 2019, and Lilibet, born in 2021. Both are enrolled to start school in the U.K. in September, BBC News reported.
Buckingham Palace confirmed in February 2021 that the couple were no longer working members of the royal family. The pair's decision to step away from the royal family and move to California fueled considerable tension with other members of the family.
That tension was elevated further when Harry and Meghan sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, during which they discussed their struggles behind the scenes with family members.
Among other topics, Meghan recounted conversations about how their son, Archie, would not be given the title of prince and how he wouldn't have security, and said there were discussions while she was pregnant about "how dark" Archie's skin color would be.
Harry, meanwhile, said in that interview that he was "disappointed" with his father, King Charles III, and that he and his brother were "on different paths."
Harry, Meghan and their children traveled to the U.K. last month and met with King Charles for the first time in years, although their move was not discussed during that visit, BBC reported. That trip was not without controversy.
BBC News reported prior to the visit that Harry was considering whether to bring his wife and children because his request for taxpayer-funded police protection was rejected by British authorities.
The Duke of Sussex lost a legal challenge in 2024 over an official government body's decision to downgrade his security detail when he makes visits back to the U.K., following the announcement that he was stepping away from royal duties.
Asked Thursday about future security arrangements for the royal couple, U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it was a private matter for the Sussexes, adding that he and his family "wish them well in the moves that they are making."
