Harry and Meghan Plan Return to UK After Six Years in California
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly ending their residency in California and preparing to relocate back to the United Kingdom, concluding a chapter that began when they stepped back from royal duties in 2020. The anticipated move has drawn varied reactions from American media outlets, with commentators expressing everything from relief to satirical commentary on their departure. Reports indicate the couple has conducted preliminary reconnaissance visits to the Cotswolds, an affluent British enclave favoured by high-profile residents seeking privacy and discretion.
The couple's planned return to Britain represents a reversal from their initial departure, when they cited personal strain and feelings of institutional constraint as reasons for leaving the country. The relocation has sparked discussion about the broader implications for their public standing on both sides of the Atlantic and has reportedly caught some observers, including members of the royal family, by surprise. The move comes approximately six years after they relocated to California, suggesting a significant shift in their long-term settlement plans.
- Sussexes reported to be leaving California for UK after six-year residency
- Reports indicate Cotswolds reconnaissance; US media reactions span relief to satire
- Move reverses their 2020 departure when institutional constraints were cited as motivation
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from official royal duties in 2020, a decision they said was driven by strain on their mental health and a sense of being constrained by royal institutional life. They subsequently settled in California, where they have lived for the past six years while building careers in media, publishing and public speaking, largely away from the traditional royal family structure.
Reports now suggest the couple are preparing to leave the United States and resettle in the UK, reportedly looking at properties in the Cotswolds, an area popular with wealthy and famous residents who value privacy. Such a move would mark a significant change of direction after years of building a life abroad, and would raise questions about how they would engage with royal life and public duties on returning.
The story matters because any relocation would affect the couple's relationship with the royal family, the British public and the media on both sides of the Atlantic, all of whom have closely followed their departure and subsequent choices since 2020.
Coverage
- Daily Mail — ‘Our long national nightmare is over’: US media react as it’s revealed Harry and Meghan are leaving America
- Daily Mail — Harry and Meghan’s Cotswold kingdom? Sussexes made ‘secret reconnaissance’ of sought-after celebrity enclave before announcing move to UK
- Daily Mail — ‘I was trapped’: Why Harry and Meghan left Britain in the first place, in their own words
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