Harry and Meghan’s Break with Britain and Planned Return: a Timeline

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning to return to the United Kingdom within weeks, six years after they left their royal duties for California, British media have announced. The couple, along with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have already enrolled the children in a British school for the start of the academic year in early September.

The couple had been living in California since stepping down as working royals in 2020, following a bitter feud with the royal family that escalated after Harry's memoir, Spare, was published and an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Harry's grandfather, King Charles III, has reportedly been informed of their plans to return to the UK, but the monarch has stated that the couple will not be working royals and their status will remain unchanged.

The news comes after the couple paid a brief visit to the UK in July, during which they met with King Charles. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams described the move as "an extraordinary development" and speculated that the couple may have struggled to succeed as A-listers in Hollywood. The Sun reported that the couple would retain their homes in California and Portugal, despite the return to the UK.

The couple's decision to return to the UK has been met with mixed reactions, with some praising their reconciliation with the family while others question whether their move will be a "swan song" after their failed attempts at success in the United States.