Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shocked the world in 2020 when they announced they were stepping back from their roles in the royal family and becoming financially independent. Years after going against the grain, the couple has decided to relocate back to the United Kingdom, PEOPLE exclusively revealed. 

Beginning this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex plan to relocate with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, who will start school in September. 

The move is surprising, considering the couple’s choice to step back created a major rift with the royal family, and they cited security concerns, among other issues, as a reason for their move to the U.S. After stepping away from their royal roles, the couple was stripped of the level of security they received as full-time royals. Their new base in Britain will be non-royal but, of course, private and closely guarded. However, they won’t receive automatic taxpayer-funded armed protection or resume their roles in the royal family. 

In 2019, Harry launched a lawsuit against three major newspaper groups in the U.K., accusing them of illegal intrusion. Markle also filed an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher, Associated Newspapers, which she won in 2021. Likewise, Harry won his case against the Mirror Group in 2023 and settled with The Sun in 2025. 

It seems the dust may have begun settling in 2025 when Harry was seen joining his dad, King Charles, for tea in London. More recently, in July 2026, the former Suits actress, Harry, and their kids met with King Charles, who hosted them for the first time in years, seemingly taking first steps to put an end to the family feud. 

All ties won’t be cut from the U.S., though. The couple, who have a home in Montecito, California, plans to keep their residence. Additionally, they will retain ownership of the property they possess in Portugal. During their time in the States, they attempted to take up space in the media industry, with Markle producing several docuseries, documentaries, and TV series, including Polo, With Love, Meghan, and Cookie Queens. Some are still in the pipeline.  

Only the couple knows why this move makes the most sense for them. Perhaps an olive branch was extended. Perhaps they were the ones to offer it. Maybe there are things happening within the family that call for everyone to rally around one another. Both King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have recently faced cancer battles, the kind of ordeals that can put everything else in perspective. His treatment is ongoing; Catherine’s is in remission. Could Harry feel he could be most impactful back in the U.K.? Whatever the reasons, the hope is that the family can offer real support and mend old wounds.

As for the U.K. press, one would be naive to think the couple’s return won’t turn into feeding season. The coverage of the couple has been ugly since they got engaged (remember that “(Almost) Straight Outta Compton” headline from the MailOnline? Yikes), and Buckingham Palace’s lack of support in handling the lies told about Markle left her feeling unprotected. Still, as they move back across the pond, we hope she’ll be surrounded by the right people, those who will protect her peace this time. To be the protection she didn’t get the first time around. If that protection can come from the rest of the royal family too, even better.

The pair met in 2016 after being set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. By 2017, the couple was engaged, and the following year, they had a grand royal wedding at Windsor Castle. The wedding drew global attention, as Markle made history as the first person of color to marry into the modern British royal family. We hope she’s able to thrive as she starts a new chapter in the U.K.