The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly preparing to spend an extended period in Britain with their two children, marking one of the biggest changes to the family’s life since their departure from royal duties six years ago.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set for a significant return to the United Kingdom, with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet expected to begin school in Britain this September.

The move represents a striking new chapter for the Sussex family, who have spent most of the past six years building a life thousands of miles away in California.

Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior working members of the Royal Family in 2020 before eventually settling in Montecito with Archie, who is now seven. Their daughter Lilibet, now five, was born in California the following year.

Now, the family is preparing to establish a home base in Britain once again.

A New Home — But Not a Return to Royal Duties

Despite the significance of their return, Harry and Meghan are not expected to resume their former positions as working royals.

Instead, the couple will reportedly live in a private residence rather than moving into one of the Royal Family’s official homes.

Their return therefore appears to be centered primarily on family life, their children’s education and Harry’s continuing ties to Britain rather than a formal comeback to royal duties.

The Sussexes are also expected to retain their connections to the United States, meaning their move should not necessarily be interpreted as a permanent farewell to California.

For Archie and Lilibet, however, attending school in Britain would represent a particularly important change.

Archie was born in London in May 2019 and spent the earliest months of his life in the UK before his parents relocated to North America. Lilibet, meanwhile, was born in Santa Barbara, California, in June 2021 and has spent most of her childhood in the United States.

Starting school in Britain would bring both children considerably closer to their paternal relatives.

A Potential Turning Point for Harry and King Charles

The decision also comes amid signs of warmer relations between Prince Harry and his father, King Charles III.

The relationship between Harry and senior members of the Royal Family has faced intense scrutiny since the Duke and Duchess left royal life.

Their subsequent interviews and media projects brought private family disagreements into public view, while Harry’s memoir Spare offered his own account of tensions within the monarchy.

In recent years, however, Harry has repeatedly indicated that he would like to repair some of those relationships.

A longer stay in Britain could create more opportunities for private family contact, particularly between King Charles and his grandchildren.

Archie and Lilibet have spent much of their lives in California and have consequently had fewer opportunities to see members of Harry’s family than they might have had if they had remained in Britain.

The Sussex family’s return could begin to change that.

William Relationship Remains a Major Question

While Harry’s relationship with his father may be showing signs of improvement, his relationship with his older brother, Prince William, remains another matter.

The brothers were once regularly seen together at royal engagements, but their relationship deteriorated significantly in the years surrounding Harry and Meghan’s departure.

Harry discussed disagreements with William in interviews and in Spare, including highly personal details about conflicts between the brothers.

Whether spending more time in the UK will eventually help repair their relationship remains unclear.

There has been no indication that Harry’s return will immediately result in a reconciliation with the Prince of Wales.

Six Years After Their Royal Exit

The family’s latest decision is particularly notable because of how dramatically Harry and Meghan’s lives have changed since 2020.

After announcing their intention to step back from senior royal duties, the couple initially spent time in Canada before relocating to California.

They subsequently pursued a range of independent projects, including television productions, publishing, podcasts, charitable initiatives and commercial ventures.

Harry published his bestselling memoir Spare in 2023, while the couple’s relationship with the media — and particularly Britain’s tabloid press — remained a major source of controversy.

Throughout that period, Britain continued to occupy a complicated place in Harry’s life.

It remained his home country and the center of much of his charitable work, yet concerns about security and the intense media attention surrounding his family repeatedly affected his visits.

The prospect of Archie and Lilibet attending school in Britain therefore makes the family’s latest decision considerably more consequential than one of Harry’s previous short trips.

Meghan’s Life Could Become More Transatlantic

For Meghan, returning to Britain also represents a notable change.

The Duchess has spent recent years developing projects and business interests primarily from California. Living in Britain for an extended period could require her professional life to become increasingly transatlantic.

There is no suggestion, however, that she intends to return to the traditional schedule of public engagements associated with working members of the monarchy.

Instead, Harry and Meghan appear determined to preserve the independence they sought when they stepped away from royal duties.

That distinction could prove important.

Their return to Britain may put them geographically closer to the Royal Family, but it does not reverse the fundamental decision they made six years ago to create a life outside the institution.

Archie and Lilibet at the Center of the Decision

Perhaps the biggest impact will be felt by Archie and Lilibet.

A British education will introduce the children to a very different environment from the one they have known in California, while also placing them much closer to their royal relatives.

The change could allow them to develop stronger connections with their father’s country while maintaining their American upbringing and family life in California.

It also gives Harry and Meghan the possibility of creating a more genuinely transatlantic childhood for their children.

For a family whose departure from Britain became one of the most closely watched royal stories of the modern era, the symbolism is difficult to ignore.

Six years after Harry and Meghan crossed the Atlantic in search of a more independent life, the Sussexes are preparing to make Britain a meaningful part of their family’s everyday life once again.

But this is not a return to the royal arrangement they left behind.

Instead, it appears to be something different: a private family establishing a new foothold in Britain while attempting to maintain the independence it spent the past six years building.