Fewer than a quarter of Britons think Harry and Meghan should move back to the UK
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
A recent poll found that fewer than a quarter of Britons believe Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should relocate back to the UK, underlining how far the couple's popularity has fallen with the British public since they stepped back from royal duties. The finding landed amid a wave of reporting that the Sussexes were weighing, or had already settled on, a return to Britain, a prospect said to have unsettled royal circles and reportedly provoked an "apoplectic" reaction from Prince William, while William and Kate offered no public comment.
Coverage around the poll pointed to practical complications a UK move would raise, including who would fund the couple's security, estimated at up to £5 million a year, with the question reportedly to be considered at the "highest level" of government. Reports also suggested the pair had scouted properties in the Cotswolds, a celebrity-favoured area, fuelling speculation that preparations for a relocation were already under way, even as royal sources voiced unease about the couple's true intentions.
- Under 25% of Britons want Harry and Meghan to move back to the UK
- Reports suggest William reacted angrily to relocation plans
- Cotswolds property scouting and UK security costs (~£5m) raised questions
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States, a decision that followed a period of tension with other senior royals, including Prince William. Since then their relationship with the wider royal family has remained strained, and the couple have built lives and careers outside the traditional royal structure, including media projects and business ventures.
More recently there has been speculation that Harry and Meghan might return to live in the UK, with reports suggesting they have been looking at properties, including in the Cotswolds. Any such move would raise practical questions, such as who pays for their security, given Harry no longer holds official royal duties, and it is being watched closely for what it might signal about the family's relationships.
This matters because the Sussexes remain prominent public figures whose choices attract wide interest, and any move back would have implications for royal finances, security arrangements and the family's internal dynamics, as well as reflecting broader public sentiment about their standing in Britain.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those sympathetic to a UK return would argue Harry and Meghan are entitled to live wherever they choose, including the country of Harry's birth, and that maintaining ties to family, heritage and his home nation has genuine emotional and practical value for him and his children. They might add that public opinion polls needn't dictate personal life decisions, and that reconciliation with the Royal Family, particularly given King Charles's health, is a private matter deserving of privacy and goodwill rather than public gatekeeping.
The case against
Sceptics would argue that Britons' cool reception reflects legitimate concerns: the couple stepped back from royal duties and publicly criticised the institution and individuals within it, so a return raises fair questions about sincerity and fit. They would also point to the practical burden on taxpayers, given security costs estimated at up to £5 million a year, as a reasonable basis for public and institutional caution, particularly at a time of wider fiscal pressure, without this amounting to personal hostility towards the couple.