Six years after stepping back from royal duties, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly preparing to spend more time in the United Kingdom. According to British media, Harry and Meghan plan to bring their two children to England within weeks, with the youngsters expected to start school in September. The family would divide their time between a private residence outside London and their existing homes in California and Portugal.
Meghan is said to continue running her lifestyle brand, As Ever, from the UK, while Harry intends to devote more attention to his British-based charitable projects. The move signals a potential thaw in relations with the royal family, but experts caution that the path to reconciliation is far from straightforward.
Why the Sussexes left royal life
The couple relocated to California in 2020, citing the pressures of royal life and relentless media scrutiny. Tensions escalated after the publication of Harry's memoir, Spare, in 2023, in which he and Meghan made explosive allegations about the palace's handling of Meghan's mental health and claimed that a senior royal had expressed concerns about their first child's skin colour.
Harry's ongoing legal battles with British tabloids have further complicated matters. He has accused several newspapers of phone hacking and privacy invasion, but has lost a series of cases, including one against the publisher of the Daily Mail that concluded last month. The court ruling left Harry facing a potential bill of millions of euros, with Associated Newspapers claiming legal costs of £34.5 million (€40.2 million).
Despite these setbacks, Harry has recently spoken of his desire to reconcile with his father, King Charles III, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. The King was reportedly informed of the Sussexes' plans on Sunday, but Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on speculation concerning non-working royals.
Expert advice: move slowly
Craig Prescott, a British royal expert, believes that Harry must adopt a patient and deliberate approach if he hopes to rebuild his public role in the UK. "If he really wants to come back to the UK and be a public figure again, then he will have to move slowly and deliberately to rebuild his presence here in the UK," Prescott said. He pointed to Queen Camilla's gradual rise in popularity as an example of how such a transformation can take years.
Prescott also suggested that the royal family may feel a sense of exasperation over the unpredictability of Harry's decisions, contrasting his approach with Prince William's more measured planning. The media, he warned, could once again pit Harry and Meghan against William and Catherine, and the palace would likely be concerned about the Sussexes overshadowing the monarchy's work. "They wouldn't want Meghan and Harry's presence in the UK here to overshadow the work of the monarchy," he said.
The couple's potential return comes at a delicate time for the monarchy, with King Charles's health issues and the ongoing fallout from Harry's legal battles. Whether the family can truly mend fences remains uncertain, but the coming months will be telling.
