‘Meghan is fully behind this move’: Friends of the Sussexes say the Duchess wants to rekindle Harry’s English side, that the American Dream ‘might not be all that it was crack up to be’ – and that this really could be a ‘forever return’ for the family
Friends of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say the couple are preparing to permanently relocate from the US to Britain, in what is being described as a reversal of their 2020 decision to step back from royal duties. The move, expected within a fortnight and ahead of the new school term, follows a reportedly successful private visit to see King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove, alongside a trip to Harry's Spencer family home at Althorp. Sources close to the couple say Harry never lost his affection for Britain, only for the circumstances surrounding his previous royal life, and suggest the couple have grown disillusioned with life in America.
Friends including Alex Rayner, a longtime associate of Harry's, told the Daily Mail that Meghan is said to be fully supportive of reconnecting with Harry's English roots, describing the shift as coming from both of them rather than Harry alone. The couple, along with children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, are reportedly planning a lasting rather than temporary return, with one source calling it a "forever return". The pace of the change is said to have caught even King Charles by surprise, having reportedly only learned of his son's plans on the preceding Sunday.
- Harry and Meghan reportedly planning permanent return to Britain
- Friends say Meghan fully supports reconnecting with Harry's English roots
- Move follows visit to King Charles at Highgrove and Althorp
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States, settling in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. Since then they have built a life outside the formal royal structure, taking on various media and business projects, while their relationship with the Royal Family, particularly King Charles and Harry's brother Prince William, has often been strained.
Reports now suggest the couple are considering a permanent move back to Britain, a step that would mark a significant change from the arrangement they set up when they left. Any such shift would be notable given the circumstances of their original departure and the public interest in how relations with the wider Royal Family, including the King, have developed since.
The people quoted in these reports are described as friends or associates of the couple rather than Harry, Meghan or the Palace speaking directly, so the claims reflect what is being said around them rather than official confirmation.