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Six years after stepping back from their roles as senior members of the Royal Family and building a new life in the United States, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to return to the United Kingdom with their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5.
The move is expected to take place later in August and, according to reports in the international press, the family intends to remain in the country for an extended period. Archie and Lilibet are also expected to begin the new school year at a British school in September.
The couple, however, will not return to official royal duties, nor are they expected to live in a royal residence. Their intention is to settle in a private property on the outskirts of London, maintaining the independence they have built since stepping back from the Royal Family in 2020.
The decision has attracted attention because it represents a significant shift in the Sussexes’ journey. In 2020, Harry and Meghan left the United Kingdom following a turbulent relationship with the British press and disagreements within the Royal Family. After settling in California, they embarked on a new professional chapter through entertainment projects, business ventures, philanthropic work and their own brands.
Their return comes at a time when there have also been signs of a family rapprochement. In July, Harry, Meghan and their children were in the United Kingdom and met King Charles III at Highgrove. It was the first time since 2022 that the monarch had seen Archie and Lilibet in person.
Even so, this does not mean that all relationships have been restored. The British press reports that the relationship between Harry and Prince William remains distant, while issues surrounding security and the family’s exposure to the tabloids remain sensitive.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of their return is precisely what it does not represent.
Harry and Meghan are not reversing the decision they made in 2020. They are not resuming their former roles within the monarchy and, so far, there is no indication that they intend to completely abandon the life they have built in the United States.
Instead, the move appears to point towards an attempt to find a third way: being closer to their family and the United Kingdom once again, without returning to the royal way of life they chose to leave behind.
For Harry, the return also makes it easier to remain closely involved with his British projects, including charities and the Invictus Games. Meghan, meanwhile, is expected to continue managing her businesses from the United Kingdom.
But perhaps the most significant change will be for Archie and Lilibet. Attending school in the country would mean growing up closer to their paternal family and developing a much more direct connection with the culture and history of which they are also a part.
If 2020 represented a rupture, 2026 may represent something different: not necessarily a complete reconciliation, but an attempt to find a new balance.
After such a public rupture, could returning without necessarily going back to the past be the most realistic way to begin a new chapter?
