Harry and Meghan reportedly plan UK return after six years in California
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly preparing to end their six-year stint in California and return to the UK, in a striking reversal of their 2020 decision to step back from royal duties. Harry has previously described feeling "trapped" in Britain before the couple's departure, and their prospective return has generated significant attention over questions of security arrangements, family relations and public reception. The story has prompted a wide range of coverage, from analysis of the couple's declining popularity to speculation about their potential settling location and commercial ventures.
Central to the reporting is the cost of the couple's UK security, which could reach £5 million a year, with a review of protection arrangements said to be taking place at the "highest level" of government; Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has called the matter "private". Commentator Richard Eden claims sources have told him the move reflects a longer-running Establishment effort to bring the Sussexes back, while other reports suggest the couple made a "secret reconnaissance" of a sought-after Cotswolds enclave and identified a group of UK-based allies expected to support them. Polling cited in coverage indicates fewer than a quarter of Britons favour the couple's return, and other reports point to a potentially "apoplectic" reaction from Prince William, alongside speculation about how Meghan's brands might benefit from a UK relocation.
- Harry and Meghan reportedly ending six-year California stay, returning to UK
- UK security costs could reach £5m annually, review at "highest level"
- Under a quarter of Britons support the couple's return, reports say
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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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