Harry and Meghan Return to UK With Archie and Lilibet as Family Begins Extended Stay

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been seen in Britain for the first time since returning with their children, after arriving from California and beginning what is expected to be an extended stay in the UK.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were photographed travelling in a small motorcade after their private flight landed at Birmingham Airport shortly before noon. Their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, are expected to start school in Britain in September.

The return marks a significant change for the family, coming six years after Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as working royals and moved to the United States.

Sussexes arrive in Birmingham

The family travelled from California on a chartered aircraft operated by Californian company Planet Nine Private Air. The flight was reported to have cost around £90,000.

After landing, Harry and Meghan were taken from Birmingham Airport to their new UK residence by their personal security team. The convoy consisted of a van and two blacked-out vehicles, including Range Rovers.

The family is expected to live at a private, non-royal property. The exact location has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the Sussexes have bought the property or are renting it.

Their representatives have declined to identify either the children’s school or the family’s new home, citing privacy and security concerns.

Harry and Meghan are expected to remain in Britain while Archie and Lilibet are in education. At the same time, they will retain their £11million home in Montecito, California, as well as their property in Portugal.

Archie and Lilibet prepare for British schools

Both children are at an age when they can begin the next stage of their education in the UK this September.

Archie, 7, is of prep-school age, while Lilibet, 5, is eligible to enter Year One.

The decision to educate the children in Britain is a major part of the family’s longer stay. The Sussexes are understood to have been considering the move for some time, although the details were kept private.

The couple’s return was particularly notable because Harry and Meghan had met King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove, Gloucestershire, in July without publicly raising the possibility of a longer-term move back to Britain.

The King, who is 77, is nevertheless understood to welcome the opportunity to spend more time with his family in a private capacity.

Harry was already due to return to the UK in mid-September for engagements connected to his patronages, including the WellChild Awards. He would previously have been offered a room at Buckingham Palace for that visit.

No return to working royal duties

Despite the family’s move, Harry and Meghan are not returning as working members of the Royal Family.

They are expected to continue their private business activities and will not undertake official royal duties during their time in Britain. They are also understood not to be receiving money from the public purse.

The move nevertheless raises questions about the arrangements agreed after Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020.

The January 2020 Sandringham agreement established that the couple would cease their official royal roles and would no longer receive public funding for royal duties. The arrangement also reflected their wish to build a more independent life while remaining members of the wider royal family.

Any discussion of a possible future role for Harry would have to take place between him and his father, according to sources cited in reports surrounding the family’s return.

A return six years after Megxit

Harry and Meghan’s move comes six years after they stepped down as senior working royals and began building their lives in North America.

Since then, they have maintained a home in California and developed their own commercial ventures. Their latest decision means the family will now spend a substantial period in the country Harry has previously described as difficult to return to because of security concerns.

The couple’s UK return had not been widely anticipated. Reports of their arrival emerged only shortly before the family travelled, despite indications that preparations for the move had been underway for weeks or even months.

Their decision to settle temporarily in Britain also comes after a series of visits to the country, including Harry’s planned September engagements.

Security remains a major issue

Security is likely to remain one of the most closely watched aspects of Harry and Meghan’s return.

Harry has previously argued that it was unsafe for his wife and children to come back to Britain without appropriate protection. He has pursued a lengthy legal battle over his security arrangements and his access to publicly funded armed protection.

Following a court defeat around 18 months ago, Harry said: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”

That position makes the family’s current return particularly significant.

It remains unclear whether there has been any change in the Home Office’s assessment of security arrangements for the Sussexes. Sources have not commented on whether their status has changed.

The family also spent their previous visit to Britain without taxpayer-funded armed police protection.

Their life remains split between Britain and the US

Although Harry and Meghan are establishing a base in Britain, the move does not mean they are giving up their life in California.

Their £11million Montecito property will be retained, as will their home in Portugal. The couple will also continue their private business interests while living in Britain.

For now, the family’s immediate focus is expected to be settling into their new home and preparing Archie and Lilibet for school.

The Sussexes’ return therefore represents a new chapter for the family, but one that remains separate from official royal life. They will live in a private residence, continue their commercial activities and educate their children in Britain while maintaining their existing ties to the United States.