Prince Harry, the duke of Sussex, landed in Birmingham, England, shortly before midday on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children — six years after the couple decamped to California and stepped away from the country he grew up in. His cousin Lady Eliza Spencer was quick to welcome the news publicly.
Spencer, 34, the daughter of Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer, told the Mirror on Wednesday that her cousin’s return was “exciting,” adding that her family would welcome the chance to find time for a visit, Page Six reported.
Harry, 41, and Markle, 45, flew from Los Angeles with Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, aboard a private jet that cost $12,000 an hour across the 10-hour crossing. The family of four had not made a public appearance as of August 27.
What the New Arrangement Looks Like
Neither Harry nor Markle will resume duties as working royals. An insider said the couple intend to continue their business enterprises while living in a non-royal residence, and no change is expected to their official status; they remain private individuals. The family is thought to be basing itself at a private property in the Cotswolds area, outside London, and Archie and Lilibet have been enrolled in a British school with the new term starting in September 2026.
Some of the household made the trip and some did not. The couple’s rescued chickens, familiar to followers of Markle’s Instagram account and viewers of her Netflix program, are staying in California. The dogs, Mia and Pula, came along. The Montecito mansion the couple have occupied since 2020, valued at $14.5 million, is not being sold.
The King at the Center of It
An insider described King Charles III, 77, who disclosed his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, as the real reason behind the decision to move, and said the monarch looks forward to spending time with his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
The king was told of the plans on Sunday, August 16, 2026. He was unaware of the move beforehand but welcomes the prospect of seeing more of the Sussex family in a private and personal capacity. The prince and princess of Wales have also been informed.
Relations had been strained since the couple stepped back from royal duties in early 2020 and settled in California that March. A thaw came in July 2026, when the Sussexes and their children visited the king and Queen Camilla at Highgrove, his private home in Gloucestershire — a reunion that marked the first occasion in over four years that Charles had been with his grandchildren face to face. The palace characterized the gathering as a private family occasion, and it is understood the relocation was not raised. Before that reunion, Harry and Markle had not been in the U.K. together since the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
Security Questions Remain Unanswered
There did not appear to be a police presence as the family left the airport after they landed in Birmingham, according to a source. It remains unclear what protection will be arranged once they settle, or who will pay for it.
The issue has trailed Harry for years. In May 2025 he lost a legal challenge over the level of security he and his family are entitled to in Britain, after his protection was downgraded when he stopped being a working royal and moved to the United States. He has said previously that safety concerns kept him from bringing his wife and children to the U.K. A Home Office spokesperson said such judgments about royal protection are the responsibility of Ravec — the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures — while describing the government’s protective security system as rigorous and proportionate.
Another legal front remains open. The publisher of the Daily Mail saw off a High Court privacy claim in July 2026 brought by the duke alongside six other public figures. The seven claimants face paying Associated Newspapers up to £34.5 million in legal costs, with an initial £9.54 million that fell due on August 28, 2026.
A Move Few Saw Coming
The relocation caught even seasoned royal watchers off guard. Royal expert Robert Hardman told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program that surprise was an understatement, noting that the Sussexes have long excelled at delivering them. Hardman said the school enrollment carries real weight, signaling the children will be raised British rather than American.
Hints had surfaced. David Wiseman, chief programmes and strategy officer at the Invictus Games Foundation, said Harry had mentioned missing the U.K., though he read it as sentimentality at the time; he added that he would be glad to have the duke back and hoped the children settle well at school. The Invictus Games will be hosted in Birmingham in 2027.
An earlier clue came in September 2025, when Harry spoke with singer Joss Stone, 39, at London’s WellChild Awards, shortly after her own return to Britain. Stone told Hello! magazine that Harry praised British schools and the importance of community for children, asked how her family was settling in, and seemed genuinely interested — enough that she wondered aloud whether he might follow.
What comes next is still taking shape. Deadline reported on August 21, 2026, that Markle was in early talks to join the third season of the Netflix series “The Gentlemen,” which would have been her first significant acting work since her marriage. A day later, former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown wrote that the casting had been withdrawn amid an intense backlash in Britain.