Prince Harry and Meghan return to UK after six years in US

• Prince Harry, Meghan and their two children have returned to Britain as the family prepares to relocate from California to a home outside London.
• Their children are expected to begin school in Britain in September, while Harry and Meghan will remain non-working royals.

Prince Harry and his family arrived back in Britain on Wednesday, the BBC reported, days after the couple revealed plans to relocate from California to an area outside London.

Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are returning six years after leaving the UK and stepping down from official royal duties.

Their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are expected to start school in Britain in September. Details of the family's new home and the children's school are being kept private.

The family will not live in a royal residence or carry out official royal duties.

Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020 after stepping down as senior working royals. They later settled in Montecito, California, near Santa Barbara, where they are expected to maintain their home.

Their decision to return has surprised members of the royal family. King Charles reportedly learned of the move only days before it was made public.

The couple will continue to be non-working royals under the arrangement agreed with the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Harry's relationship with his father has reportedly improved in recent months. His family visited Britain last month, allowing Charles to see his grandchildren for the first time since 2022.

However, relations between Harry and his older brother, Prince William, remain strained.

Harry married Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in 2018. Two years later, they announced their decision to step down from royal duties, citing intense media scrutiny and their desire to build independent careers.

The couple's return comes as Harry continues to seek greater opportunities for his children to spend time in Britain and with their grandfather, King Charles, who is undergoing cancer treatment.

The reasons behind the family's decision to relocate remain unclear. Some commentators have suggested business considerations may have played a role, while Harry's desire to be closer to his father has also been cited.

“It’s really worth remembering this might not be some terribly cynical move or some desperate move, it might be a very human move: ‘I want to be near my dad,’” a former senior royal aide said.