Key Takeaways
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are returning to the U.K. with Archie and Lilibet for an open-ended but explicitly temporary stay, keeping their Montecito home and California base intact.
- Work for Archewell Productions and Meghan’s lifestyle brand As ever will continue to run out of California, while the couple operates from Britain and maintains their public appearances, philanthropy, and Harry’s Invictus Games commitments.
- Despite Harry’s past security concerns and their recent private visits with King Charles, Queen Camilla, and at Princess Diana’s Althorp resting place, the Sussexes remain non-working royals with no plans to resume official duties.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are going back to Britain—but not for good.
One day after reports said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were preparing to relocate to the U.K. with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, sources familiar with the couple’s plans are now stressing that the move is temporary. According to TMZ, Harry and Meghan have no plans to sell their Montecito home, and their return to Britain is being treated as an open-ended stay rather than a permanent homecoming.
How temporary? Apparently, even the Sussexes don’t know yet.
When asked whether the move would last six months or a year, TMZ described it as more of a “day-by-day decision.”
That clarification changes the picture considerably. Earlier reporting indicated that Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, had already been enrolled in school in Britain for the fall, while Harry and Meghan had secured a place to live. King Charles was also reportedly informed of the move over the weekend.
But the family is keeping one foot firmly planted in California.
Their Montecito mansion is staying put, as are the couple’s professional operations. TMZ says employees for Archewell Productions and Meghan’s lifestyle brand, As ever, will remain in California while Harry and Meghan work from Britain. Their public appearances, philanthropic commitments and Harry’s work with the Invictus Games are also expected to continue as scheduled.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, is staying in Southern California as well. Ragland has her own home, friendships, and ties to the local yoga community, and has regularly traveled to Montecito to spend time with Meghan, Harry, and the children.
The latest clarification also adds another layer to what has already been a striking reversal for the Sussexes.
Harry spent years saying that security concerns made it nearly impossible to bring Meghan and the children back to Britain. After losing a legal appeal over police protection last year, he said, “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point.”
This summer, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet returned to Britain for the first time together since 2022. The family visited Althorp, Princess Diana’s childhood home and burial site, and also spent private time with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House.
That trip came after weeks of uncertainty about whether Meghan and the children would travel at all due to security concerns. Harry’s team repeatedly said the dispute was never about accommodations but whether the family would have “appropriate and proportionate protective security” throughout the visit.
Still, this is not a return to royal duty. Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals, and there has been no indication that either plans to resume an official role within the monarchy.
