Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to return to Britain with their children, but new reporting suggests the move should not be mistaken for a permanent homecoming.
A source speaking to The Sunday Times said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could remain in the United Kingdom for six months, a year or longer before deciding where they want to live next. Canada and Australia were among the possibilities the source raised for the couple’s longer-term future.
The same reporting introduced the phrase “private royals-plus” as a possible best-case arrangement in which Harry and Meghan would remain non-working, private members of the royal family but could potentially appear at selected family occasions. It is not an official title, a confirmed proposal from the Sussexes or an arrangement Buckingham Palace has approved.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are due to begin school in Britain in September, while Harry and Meghan will establish a private home outside London. Their representative has described the plan more narrowly as spending “an extended period in the U.K. this autumn”.
Their Return to Britain May Not Be Permanent
The Sunday Times report pushes back against the assumption that enrolling Archie and Lilibet in British schools means the Sussexes have chosen Britain as their permanent home. “It’ll be an extended period of time,” a source said. “It could be six months, it could be a year, it could be more. I don’t think even they know yet.”
The source described Harry and Meghan as an “international couple” and suggested they could eventually decide to try living elsewhere, including Canada or Australia. Page Six also highlighted those comments while reporting on the uncertainty surrounding the family’s plans.
Their representative said Harry and Meghan had “decided to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn” following their summer visit with family and friends.
‘Private Royals-Plus’ Is a Hypothetical Arrangement, Not a New Royal Role
The “private royals-plus” language has generated attention because it resembles, at least superficially, questions that followed Harry and Meghan’s departure from working royal life in 2020. The latest reporting, however, does not describe a return to their former jobs or the revival of the “half in, half out” model rejected six years ago.
Instead, a source discussing the family’s possible future described a much more limited scenario in which the Sussexes would remain primarily private but might occasionally be present at family occasions alongside working royals.
“It needs all sides to agree a template for ‘private royals plus,’” the source said. “It needs them to be much more ‘private’ than ‘working,’ and be seen at family occasions, like Christmas at Sandringham.”
Even the source presenting the idea acknowledged how difficult that could be, arguing that it would require cooperation from Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and concluding, “Just saying it out loud sounds implausible.”
Another source close to King Charles offered a more restrained description, saying Harry and Meghan have continued to assure people that they are returning as private citizens who intend to pursue their own charitable and commercial work rather than rejoin the working monarchy.
Any Greater Family Role Would Depend on Relationships Inside the Royal Family
The largest obstacle to that hypothetical arrangement remains Harry’s relationship with William. The brothers have remained deeply estranged, and the family’s return to Britain has not been accompanied by an announcement of a reconciliation. A source speaking to The Times described their relationship as effectively remaining in “cold storage.”
Increased attendance at private royal occasions could put the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales in the same family spaces. Christmas at Sandringham is one example being discussed, but an invitation has not been announced and attendance would ultimately be a matter for the royal family.
The Sussexes’ commercial work could create another boundary. One source said activities that attract relatively little royal scrutiny while the couple is based in Montecito could be watched much more closely if they are conducted while Harry and Meghan live near the monarchy in Britain.
The Move Will Bring Archie and Lilibet Much Closer to King Charles
Whatever the eventual length of the stay, the move represents a major change for Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5. PEOPLE reported that both children will begin attending school in Britain in September after previously being educated near the family’s Montecito home.
Their new school and the location of the Sussexes’ British residence are being kept private. The family is expected to live in an independent, non-royal home.
The move will also place the children much closer to their grandfather. Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet met King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House during a family visit in July, marking the King’s first time with his Sussex grandchildren in more than four years.
King Charles was subsequently informed of the family’s relocation plans on August 16 and is reported to welcome the opportunity for more private time with his younger son and grandchildren. Harry and Meghan are not dismantling their California life as they establish a British base. PEOPLE reported that the couple will retain the Montecito property they purchased in 2020.