Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have returned to the United Kingdom six years after moving to California, beginning what they have described as a new chapter for their family. The couple made a surprise announcement last week that they would relocate to Britain with their two children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, who have already been enrolled in a British school.
UK media reported that a private jet carrying the family landed at Birmingham International Airport around midday local time, a claim supported by publicly available flight-tracking data. It has been speculated the couple will settle at a private residence in the Cotswolds, a rural region west of London. The pair had spent the past six years in the exclusive coastal town of Montecito, near Santa Barbara.
The Duke and Duchess stepped back from royal duties at the start of 2020 as relations with the wider royal family became strained. In the years since they pursued independent careers, giving high-profile interviews, producing streaming series and pursuing legal action over privacy and security, and they rarely left the headlines. The move brings them into closer proximity to the family, though it does not by itself resolve long-running tensions.
Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles, who is being treated for cancer, is said to have improved recently, particularly after a visit last month. During a trip in July tied to his Invictus Games charity work, the Duke brought his children to see the King for the first time in four years. It remains widely reported, however, that he is not on speaking terms with his brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne.
The timing of the return has drawn attention, coming shortly after a London court ruling in a privacy case and amid speculation about the couple’s next professional steps. Meghan is reported to be in talks about a return to acting, although neither her representatives nor the production said to be involved have commented. For now, the family is focused on settling into life in the English countryside.
