Aug. 20, 2026

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Moving Back to Britain With Archie and Lilibet

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Moving Back to Britain With Archie and Lilibet

In potentially the biggest Sussex development since Megxit, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly preparing to move back to Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Reports say the children will attend school in the UK beginning in September while Harry and Meghan establish a private British residence and retain their homes in Montecito and Portugal. King Charles has reportedly been informed and is said to welcome having his grandchildren closer, but Harry and Meghan are not returning as working royals. We break down what the reported move means for Harry’s security battle, his relationship with King Charles and Prince William, Meghan’s As Ever business, the 2027 Invictus Games, and whether the Sussexes may finally be creating the independent British-and-American life they originally wanted after leaving royal duties in 2020

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/palace-intrigue-harry-meghan-the-crown-royal-family-news-and-gossip--4522904/support.

Palace Intrigue is a daily British royal family podcast covering King Charles, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and the House of Windsor. New episodes every day. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:11.759
A calorougu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.

2
00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:15.359
I'm your host, Mark Francis Well, Prince Haryan Meghan Michael

3
00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:18.800
are reportedly preparing to move back to Britain with Prince

4
00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:22.160
Archie and Princess Lilibet, a development that would amount to

5
00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:25.000
the biggest change in a Sussex's family life since they

6
00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:28.839
left the UK in twenty twenty. It's reported that the

7
00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:31.679
Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to relocate from the

8
00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:36.359
US later this month, establishing a private non royal residents

9
00:00:36.439 --> 00:00:40.399
believed to be outside London. People has gone further, reporting

10
00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:42.560
that Harry and Meghan are moving back with seven year

11
00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:46.359
old Archie and five year old Lilbert for an extended period,

12
00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:51.759
while keeping their homes in Montecito, California and Portugal. The

13
00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:55.679
children are reportedly enrolled at a British school beginning in September.

14
00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:58.520
Their school and the location of the Sussex's new home

15
00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:02.960
have not been disclosed closed, presumably for obvious privacy and

16
00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:07.920
security reasons. Harry has spent years criticizing the British media

17
00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:11.879
environments and describing the intense press attention surrounding his family

18
00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.760
as one of the reasons he has been uncomfortable bringing

19
00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:18.319
Meghan and the children back to Britain. Now, with Archie

20
00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:20.959
and Lilibet going to school there, Harry and Meghan will

21
00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:24.239
once again be living within reach of the British press.

22
00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:28.560
How the Sussexes manage that attention, particularly when it comes

23
00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:31.120
to protecting their children's privacy, could become one of the

24
00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:35.599
biggest tests of whether this new arrangement actually works. King

25
00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:39.799
Charles was informed about the decision on Sunday. According to

26
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.319
the reporting, the move and not been discussed during Harry

27
00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:46.159
and Meghan's July visit to Highgrove, when they brought Archie

28
00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:48.079
and Lilibet to see the King for the first time

29
00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:50.560
in more than four years. The King is said to

30
00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:53.640
welcome the prospect of having his son, daughter in law

31
00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:58.040
and grandchildren closer, but the reporting is also emphatic on

32
00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:02.120
one important point is not, at least for now, Harry

33
00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:06.519
and Meghan returning is working royals. The Telegraph says Charles

34
00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:09.879
remains clear that their status as private individuals and non

35
00:02:09.879 --> 00:02:12.879
working members of the royal family will stay the same.

36
00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:17.400
The BBC similarly reports that there are currently no plans

37
00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:21.759
for Harry or Meghan to resume official royal duties when

38
00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:24.319
they stepped back in twenty twenty. The Sussexes hoped to

39
00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:27.120
create a model under which they could retain some connection

40
00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:31.120
to royal life while pursuing financial independence and commercial projects.

41
00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:34.759
Queen Elizabeth ultimately rejected that arrangement. After the year long

42
00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.719
review of their departure, Buckingham, Pallas said they would not

43
00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:40.800
continue with the responsibilities and duties associated with a life

44
00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:44.000
of official royal service. Harry and Meghan responded at the

45
00:02:44.039 --> 00:02:46.479
time with one of the more memorable lines of the

46
00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:50.159
entire Mexi saga, we can all live a life of

47
00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:55.039
service services universal. Now, according to people people close to

48
00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:58.639
the Sussexes believe they have essentially demonstrated that their version

49
00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:02.520
of the model works are After all, they remain financially independent,

50
00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:07.000
Meghan runs as ever, Harry maintains his charitable work. They

51
00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:10.080
receive no taxpayer funding, and now they may have a

52
00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:13.639
substantial British base as well. That is not the same

53
00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:16.319
thing as being working royals. They will not suddenly appear

54
00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:19.919
in the court circular taking assignments from Buckingham Palace, but

55
00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:23.639
geographically and practically they would once again be much closer

56
00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:27.439
to royal life. Harry would be able to devote more

57
00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:31.680
time to British organizations including Well Child and Scottish Little Soldiers,

58
00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:34.680
as well as the Invictors Games community. The twenty twenty

59
00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:37.280
seven Invictor's Games are being held in Birmingham next July,

60
00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:40.439
and The Telegraph reports that Harry strongly hopes his father

61
00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:45.240
will attend the opening. Meghan, meanwhile, would reportedly continue running

62
00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:49.039
as ever internationally. The Sussexes would therefore be living partly

63
00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:53.080
in Britain while maintaining the independent commercial structure they created

64
00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:58.439
in California. Security remains the biggest unanswered question. Harry has

65
00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.840
spent years arguing that he does not feel comfortable bringing

66
00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:05.960
Megan and children to Britain without adequate police protection. He

67
00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:09.520
has repeatedly challenged the arrangements put in place after he

68
00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:11.879
stopped being a working royal, and has pushed for a

69
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.319
new assessment of the risk facing his family. Neither Harry

70
00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:18.000
nor the government has announced a major change to those arrangements.

71
00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:22.199
That makes the decision to relocate particularly significant. If the

72
00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.120
reporting is correct, Harry has apparently reached the point where

73
00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:28.600
he believes the family can safely spend substantial amounts of

74
00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:32.360
time in Britain, even if the underlying security dispute has

75
00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:36.720
not been publicly resolved. People reports that William and Catherine

76
00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:39.879
have been informed about the Sussex's decision to establish a

77
00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:42.759
British base, but Harry and William A still said to

78
00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:46.600
have no contact. The Telegraph says the Sussexes new British

79
00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:50.040
residence is intended to be private and non royal. People

80
00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:53.360
similarly reports that the family will establish their own home

81
00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.000
rather than relying on Buckingham Palace or another royal residence.

82
00:04:57.240 --> 00:04:59.959
That removes one of the recurring side shows surrounding Harry

83
00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:03.120
his visits. Every time Harry came to Britain, there were

84
00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:05.319
stories about whether Charles had offered him a room, whether

85
00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:09.040
Harry had accepted it, whether security arrangements were adequate, and

86
00:05:09.079 --> 00:05:12.959
whether he was staying in a hotel. People says insiders

87
00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:15.959
had to come to view the endless speculation over accommodation

88
00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:19.480
and security as a circus. Owning or leasing their own

89
00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:23.360
home largely eliminates that problem. Harry comes home, goes to

90
00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:26.199
his house and gets on with whatever he came to do.

91
00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.519
Royal inside a deed Crown tells Pallas intrigue. I do

92
00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:33.279
find it interesting that the language is that King Charles

93
00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:36.480
was told Harry is a grown man. But it is

94
00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:39.120
hard for me to imagine reading a sentence that said

95
00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:43.519
Queen Elizabeth was told one did not tell her majesty

96
00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:51.839
anything one asked more palis In Just a moment prior

97
00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:55.360
to the shocking news, a source had told Closer Magazine

98
00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:58.480
it's becoming increasingly clear Harry and Meghan don't need William

99
00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:02.319
and Kate's approval, which really boosted Meghan's confidence. The fact

100
00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.399
that Charles is working so hard to put this rift

101
00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:07.399
in the past and lay the groundwork for their future,

102
00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:09.759
not just for Harry and Meghan, but for their children

103
00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:13.959
is hugely satisfying. Both Megan and Harry believe that both

104
00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:16.160
William and Kate went out of their way to make

105
00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:19.199
life as difficult as possible for them and tried to

106
00:06:19.240 --> 00:06:23.360
block a reconciliation at every turn. Ultimately, they failed, so

107
00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:26.800
Meghan and Harry feel vindicated. That being said, they would

108
00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:29.000
still very much like to have a better relationship with

109
00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:31.439
William and Kate, but even if that never happens, they

110
00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:33.319
believe that they and their children now have a place

111
00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.480
within the family. For Megan, the way William and Kate

112
00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:38.800
are behaving just proves that she and Harry were never

113
00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:41.720
the problem. The source says She's always believed that they

114
00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:44.439
were singled out and bullied by a large majority of

115
00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.399
the family, aided and are betted by William and Kate.

116
00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:50.879
It's obvious to her that they've been poisoning everybody against

117
00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:53.439
her and Harry for years. It's nothing short of the

118
00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:56.079
miracle that she and Harry have managed to rebuild their

119
00:06:56.120 --> 00:07:01.120
relationship with Charles. Harry's plans to spend more time in

120
00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:05.240
Britain had been getting a skeptical response from Royal commentators,

121
00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:08.160
with some arguing that the Duke is trying to present

122
00:07:08.199 --> 00:07:10.800
his legal and family problems as though they simply happened

123
00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:14.439
to him. A source recently told The Thames the template

124
00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:17.759
for his visits has been working well, so the frequency

125
00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:20.199
of trips will increase. He wants more of a foothold here,

126
00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:22.639
more trips back, and he always loves seeing his family.

127
00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:26.399
But The Daily Beasts Royal correspondent Tom Saks had said

128
00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:30.879
that language was already being mocked. Speaking on the Royalist Podcast,

129
00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:33.199
Sikes said the talk of a successful template has got

130
00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:36.839
people laughing. Author paul A Frolic was even more pointed,

131
00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:40.759
what's the template Daddy's always offered me Buckingham Pallace. I've

132
00:07:40.759 --> 00:07:43.279
always said no because it's not safe enough. But then

133
00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:45.680
I found out, okay, it could be safe for them.

134
00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:48.720
But then I'll go and complain about Rayveck again. That's

135
00:07:48.759 --> 00:07:52.079
the template. Sikes argued. It seems to be trained to

136
00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:53.920
imply that these are all things that have sort of

137
00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.000
been forced upon Harry, when in fact, you know he

138
00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:58.519
is the prime instigator in both the nonsense and the

139
00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:03.519
quadroom dramas. Writing for gb News Columnsley Cohen argues, Harry

140
00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:06.720
cannot reasonably expect Britain to forget the damage caused by

141
00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:09.800
his memoir, his interviews, and the repeated public attacks on

142
00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:13.519
the royal family. He cannot expect supporters of the monarchy

143
00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:16.759
to treat ears of accusations and recriminations as though they

144
00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:21.079
were merely an unfortunate private disagreement. Nor can he expect

145
00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:23.680
the institution to treat his renewed interest in Britain as

146
00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:26.839
though it carries no history. Royal status was never simply

147
00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:30.399
a title. It was the engine behind his extraordinary access

148
00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:32.799
to the media, the public, and the cause. As he

149
00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:36.720
championed it supplied an authority and fascination that no private

150
00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:41.799
entertainment company can manufacture. On demand from many a renewed

151
00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:45.559
royal role will not look like a heartwarming family reunion.

152
00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:48.159
It will look like a reward for behavior their regard

153
00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:52.559
as unforgivable. That is the real complexity. A father naturally

154
00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:55.279
wants a reconciliation with his son, but a sovereign must

155
00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:58.159
consider the institution he represents and the confidence of those

156
00:08:58.200 --> 00:09:00.879
who support it. If Harry is allowed to return to

157
00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:04.919
a prominent royal orbit without having demonstrated genuine contrition or

158
00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:08.240
accept the consequences of what he has done, the message

159
00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:13.360
to loyal supporters will be deeply damaging. Attack the institution

160
00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:16.679
for years, profit from the fallout, and eventually the doors

161
00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:19.759
will open again when you need them. We imagine there

162
00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:22.519
will be a lot more on this subject. There you

163
00:09:22.600 --> 00:09:25.720
have it, if you'd like to email us and addresses

164
00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:28.919
the Palace intriguert Gmail and dot com. If you're on Spotify, hey,

165
00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:32.799
start those comments. If you're on Apple, click that button

166
00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:35.039
up there that says listen uninterrupted and get the show

167
00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:38.039
commercial free for just five bucks a month. We appreciate

168
00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:40.840
the support, and Mark Francis been thanks to John McDermott.

169
00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:43.960
This is Palace intrigue and oh yeah, good terms