Prince Harry all smiles in new photos just hours after his shock return to Britain was revealed
Just hours after news broke that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan to return to the U.K., he looked happier than ever in new photos from a veterans’ event in Washington, D.C.
He grinned while talking to guests and spoke at the roundtable event, held on Wednesday, August 19.
The Duke of Sussex served in the British Army from 2005 to 2015. During this period, he was deployed to Afghanistan twice and also became a captain.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s U.K. return surprises everyone
According to an insider report by Page Six, Harry and Meghan Markle will return to the U.K. at the end of August for “an extended period.”
Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will also accompany the two and attend school there, according to the outlet.
“The palace was made aware of the move,” a source told the outlet, adding that King Charles learned about the decision on Sunday, August 16. Another insider claimed, “I know that Charles is the reason they are moving back.”
However, the couple will not resume their royal duties. Even so, Charles wants to spend more time with them privately but has reportedly made it clear that Harry and Markle will be private citizens and “non-working members” of the royal family.
Their return also comes after years of tension within the royal family. In 2021, Meghan told Oprah Winfrey, “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore,” and described the emotional toll of royal life.
Harry later detailed his own account, Spare, a memoir where the duke revealed his grievances.
Where could Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live in the U.K.?
BBC’s royal correspondent Daniela Relph reported that the exact location of the Sussexes’ new home remains under wraps.
But it seems they will not live in London and instead trade their multimillion-dollar California mansion for life in the English countryside.
According to Relph, the July family trip played a significant role in the decision. At the time, Harry, Markle and their children spent time with Charles at Highgrove and visited members of Harry’s extended family.
This experience reportedly turned discussions about a U.K. return into a firm decision. Moreover, schools have been chosen for Archie and Lilibet and the family is expected to return to the country within the next ten days so they can settle in before the new school term begins.
Security is another major concern.
The outlet has made no major confirmation of whether the couple’s private U.S. security will move with them or whether Harry has resolved his long-running dispute over official U.K. protection.