Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return to UK after royal rift

By Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencies. Published On 26 Aug 202626 Aug 2026.

Key points

• The couple stepped down as working royals in 2020, and resided in the US to pursue lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify.
• Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and their two children have landed in the United Kingdom, according to British media.
• The couple – who quit their royal duties six years ago and moved to California – arrived at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday as private citizens.
• Harry appeared to mend relations with his cancer-battling father, King Charles III, in recent visits to the UK.
• After his step back as a working royal, Prince Harry lost a legal challenge over the UK government's decision to downgrade his security.

Notably, the couple – who quit their royal duties six years ago and moved to California – arrived at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday as private citizens. Their return to Britain follows the surprise news last week that they were relocating.

UK media report that the family plan to stay in the country for "an extended period, " living in a home in the Cotswolds region of central England. The two children – Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five – have been enrolled at a private school. Nevertheless, they additionally intend to keep their home in California.

Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45 – who have retained their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – moved to the US after a bitter feud with other members of the royal family.

For context, the spat worsened after Harry published his confessional memoir Spare and the couple offered an interview to US talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey, in which Meghan spoke of mental health matters she experienced after joining the royal family and accused them of racism.

Meanwhile, the couple stepped down as working royals in 2020, and resided in the US to pursue lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify. It have seen mixed commercial success.

Harry appeared to mend relations with his cancer-battling father, King Charles III, in recent visits to the UK. By settling in the Cotswolds, he will be living close to the king's Highgrove House estate.

In practice, the king was reportedly not informed of the couple's intends to return to Britain, learning concerning the relocation timeline along with the general public.

Plenty of questions remain unanswered concerning their return, including whether they will receive publicly-funded security.

After his step back as a working royal, Prince Harry lost a legal challenge over the UK government's decision to downgrade his security. According to He has since, he feels unsafe bringing his family to the country without taxpayer-funded police protection.

For now, prince Harry and Meghan Markle return to UK after royal rift remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.