The signs Prince Harry has been plotting his and Meghan’s return to the UK

The signs Prince Harry has been plotting his and Meghan’s return to the UK The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be moving back to England in the coming weeks, after Harry has spoken about wanting to educate his children on their British lineage Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be moving back to the UK in a matter of weeks, after spending more than six years living in California after their dramatic exit from the Royal Family. It is understood the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their children, will be making the move back to Harry’s home country at the end of August, with Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, set to start the new school year in the UK in September. The Sussexes are understood to have secured a private, non-royal home in Britain, although details of their new residence and the children's school have not been disclosed for security and privacy reasons. And while some may be blindsided by the shocking news of Harry and Meghan’s return to the UK, there have been subtle signs from the Duke over the last few years that he may have been plotting the transatlantic move for quite some time. Harry’s moving letter about Britain Ahead of Remembrance Day last November, Harry penned an emotional letter expressing his love for his home country and the “things that make us British”. In the letter, he spoke of his pride at fighting for his country and warned how easy it is for veterans to be forgotten “once the uniform comes off”. In a personal 647-word piece titled “The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it means to be British – By Prince Harry ”, the duke acknowledges that although he 'currently' lives in the US, he reflects that "Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for". He paid tribute to the "stoic spirit" of self-deprecation and humour of "us Brits" and fondly tells how the "banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands" are the "things that make us British", adding “I love it.” Elsewhere in the essay, Harry - who undertook two front line tours of Afghanistan - called on people to remember “not only the fallen, but the living” who carry the “weight of war” and urges them to knock on veterans’ doors and “join them for a cuppa…or a pint” to hear their stories and “remind them their service still matters”. Mending the relationship with King Charles Harry has been working on mending his fractured relationship with his estranged father King Charles for over a year, with him first publicly mentioning his desire to make amends in an interview with the BBC last May. During the interview he said: "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious," adding he wanted their rift to come to an end as he did "not know how much longer my father has” after his cancer diagnosis. Elsewhere in the interview, he was asked whether he missed the UK, to which he replied: "I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done... and I think that it's really quite sad that I won't be able to show my children my homeland." Months after Harry’s candid comments, the Duke reunited with his father at Clarence House for a 55-minute private tea, marking their first face-to-face meeting in 19 months. Harry was in the UK for the annual WellChild Awards - of which he is Patron - at the time of their reunion. Harry then spoke to The Guardian in the days after his meeting with Charles, in which he said he wanted to visit his father more often, saying: "The focus really has to be on my dad." Several months then passed before Harry was reunited with his father once more, as the father and son had a private meeting in Highgrove just weeks ago, when the Duke was in the UK to promote the one year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, which will be taking place in Birmingham. Harry and Charles were joined by Meghan, Archie, Lilibet and Queen Camilla for the family meeting, marking the first time the King had seen his grandchildren since 2022, when they were in the UK for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A royal source told the Mirror of their family meeting: "There's no doubt he [Harry] enjoyed his time in the UK with his family, especially getting the opportunity to see his father with his wife and children. "The last few years have been incredibly emotional for him, and now he's reached a place where he wants to not only visit his home country more, but also would really like to be with his family.” The source added: "He's said before that he would like reconciliation with his family, so undoubtedly he's determined to make things work, and that means not doing anything to jeopardise that." Harry seems to be slowly mending the relationship with his father. But when it comes to his brother William, Royal expert and former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond previously told the Mirror : “William, as far as we can see, seems set on concentrating on his own family and his work without the angst of dealing with his rift with Harry. “But, if Harry does start to come to the UK more often and to see their father, it’s going to become increasingly hard for William to ignore the situation.” It has been claimed that the brothers have not spoken since the funeral of their late grandmother, the Queen, in September 2022. Introducing Archie and Lilibet to their British heritage Harry has spoken previously about wanting his young children, Archie and Lilibet, to know more about their British heritage. Lilibet was born in the US, and has only made two trips to the UK in her life: firstly for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 just days before she turned one, and secondly in July for the Highgrove family meeting with King Charles. While Archie was born in the UK, he was just eight months old when the Sussexes quit their royal roles in January 2020. He also made the trips to England in 2022 and July 2026 with his parents and sister to reconnect with the country he was born in. Harry had spoken fondly about living in California and raising his children in the US, however in May, a friend of the Duke told the Daily Mail that Harry was "very sad" Archie and Lilibet are "missing out on life with the rest of their family". The insider told the publication: "Harry feels his children are missing out on the extensive family network that their cousins are enjoying,” in reference to the Prince and Princess of Wales ’ children, George, Charlotte and Louis. "Harry wants his children to have the very best education. He has retained his closest friendship group of confidants from his days at school at Ludgrove and Eton. He wants that for his own children... Archie and Lili are having a lovely time in California, but Harry is very sad that they are missing out on life with the rest of their family." Harry also spoke of wanting to “show my children my homeland” in his BBC interview last May, while Jennie Bond previously told OK magazine that Archie and Lilibet “must be proper little Californians with minimal understanding of their British heritage” after spending their early years in the US. Jennie added: “Harry has spoken about wanting his children to understand their legacy and to feel equally at home in the UK as they do in America.” Discussing UK schools When Harry was in London for last year’s WellChild Awards, when he reunited with the King at Clarence House, a friend of the Duke said she was quizzed about her life in the UK. Harry caught up with singer Joss Stone at the awards, who attended Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding in Windsor. As they caught up, Joss revealed that Harry had probed on her move from the US back to her native UK. Joss told Hello magazine: "He also asked about how we were settling back in and was genuinely interested in our move home. He's just very warm and down to earth, as always. Maybe Harry will move back too. That would be nice. "He was saying how wonderful the schools are here and how important community is for children," the singer added. "It was nice to share that with him because it's exactly why we felt drawn to come back – for the kids to grow up surrounded by family, friends and a strong sense of belonging and most importantly in a safe environment.” Fight for security For many years, one of Harry’s main sticking points when discussing bringing his family to the UK is that of his taxpayer-funded police protection. The Duke's level of security changed in 2020 when he and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to California for financial and personal freedom. As a result, Harry was ordered to give a month's notice of any trips to the UK and the risk will be evaluated before his security is granted. On each return to Britain, Harry has been declined full protection and has funded his own personal security instead. In May 2025, he lost his appeal over the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office for the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of protection when in the UK. After the defeat of his Court of Appeal challenge, he told the BBC that he "can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK" as they would not automatically be entitled to police protection. A spokesman for Harry said last month: “The Duke continues to make the case that he and his family face an enduring security risk by virtue of the circumstances of his birth and his membership of the Royal Family. “The threats that existed while he was a working member of the institution did not simply vanish when he stepped back from official duties six years ago. They remain, and the most recent threat assessment underscores the continuing nature of those risks.” Charity work It is believed one key reason behind Harry and Meghan’s move back to the UK is for the Duke to be more involved in his charity work that he is passionate about in his home country. Harry dedicates much of his time to UK-based charities, including WellChild, the HALO Trust, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, and his own Invictus charity. The Duke has been Patron of these charities for several years, which aim to help seriously ill children, bereaved military children, clear landmines and make a safe environment in war-torn countries, and support wounded military personnel and veterans. Much of Harry’s time is no doubt dedicated to preparing for the 2027 Invictus Games, which will be taking place in Birmingham over several days in July. The Mirror previously reported that Harry is hoping to appear publicly with Charles at next year's Invictus Games in Birmingham, with the organisers planning to invite the King to take part in either the opening or closing ceremony as well as visiting a range of sporting events to meet competitors. A royal source said: “If the King were to attend the Invictus Games next year, and appear in public with him, it would be a huge moment for all of them. Harry wants the Birmingham Games to be the best ever, and it would be extra special to have all his family by his side, and that means the King as well.”