Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan to move back to UK amid royal tensions
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are moving with their kids back to the United Kingdom six years after relocating to California.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s return to the U.K. could bring their children closer than ever to their royal relatives.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are preparing to return to Britain with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, after spending much of the past six years in California. The family will not being living in a royal residence and instead there is speculation that the family will move to a private residence in the Cotswolds, with Archie and Lilibet set to begin school in the U.K. in September.
The move will put the Sussex children in the same country as their cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the three children of Prince William and Princess Kate.
But whether the cousins will spend more time together remains unclear amid the ongoing estrangement between Harry and William. Archie spent time around his cousins before his parents left Britain, but it is unclear whether Lilibet, who was born in California, has ever met George, 13, Charlotte, 11, and Louis, 8.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been protective of their children’s privacy, offering only occasional glimpses of Archie and Lilibet’s lives. The couple rarely share photos of their children and typically keep their faces out of view when they do.
Here’s everything to know about the royal kids.
Who is Princess Lilibet?
Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor of Sussex is the younger of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s two children. She was born June 4, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California.
Her name honors two members of the royal family: “Lilibet” was Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood nickname, while Diana pays tribute to Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
Lilibet made her first known trip to the U.K. in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, during which she celebrated her first birthday and met her great-grandmother.
When Lilibet turned 5 in June, Meghan celebrated her “dream girl” with a rare glimpse of the young princess, sharing a sweet photo of Lilibet cradled in her dad Harry’s arms.
She became a princess following the queen’s death in September 2022, when her grandfather Charles became king. Harry and Meghan began publicly using the titles prince and princess for their children in 2023.Lilibet is seventh in line to the British throne, directly behind her older brother, Archie.
Who is Prince Archie?
Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor of Sussex is Harry and Meghan’s eldest child. He was born May 6, 2019, in London and turned 7 this year.
Archie spent the first months of his life in Britain while his parents were still working members of the royal family. He was less than a year old when Harry and Meghan announced in January 2020 that they would step back from their senior royal roles. The family later settled in California.
Meghan has also shared rare glimpses of Archie’s childhood, including a sweet video in April of the young prince hitting the slopes alongside his dad, Prince Harry.
Like his younger sister, Archie became eligible to be called a prince after his grandfather Charles became king in September 2022. Harry and Meghan began publicly using the title in 2023.
Archie is sixth in line to the British throne, following his uncle Prince William and cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Where will Archie and Lilibet go to school?
The Sussexes chosen school has not been confirmed but reports say it will likely be outside of London, an area Meghan avoided when she visited the United Kingdom last month amid security fears. The new school term starts next month.
It is also unclear where the family will live, though the Cotswolds, an idyllic but sprawling area in the countryside, remains a top contender.
British media point to Beaudesert Park School in the Costswolds as an option for the children. The Gloucestershire school is less than 10 miles from the king and queen’s private country residence, where they were reunited with the Sussex family last month. The school takes boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 13, making it a good fit for the family.
Windlesham House School is considered one of the best prep schools in Britain. It includes a 250-seat theatre, swimming pool and is home to a range of clubs including Lego robotics. It is also located in the couple’s dukedom of Sussex, so would be particularly fitting. The school is a day school that takes boys and girls.
Cousins Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis attend Lambrook school in Berkshire, but it is unlikely Harry and Meghan will enroll their children at the same school given the ongoing royal family rift. Prince George, having just turned 13, is due to start at Eton College, a prestigious boarding school for boys, in September.
Meghan’s past comments on UK schools
In the wake of the family’s shock move back to the United Kingdom, Meghan’s 2022 comments about not wanting to send her kids to school in Britain are resurfacing.
In an interview with The Cut, the duchess cited a lack of privacy for the reason she wouldn’t want her children to attend a British school. Meghan expressed concern that school pickups and dropoffs would lead to a swarm of paparazzi infiltrating the moment.
“Sorry, I have a problem with that. That doesn’t make me obsessed with privacy. That makes me a strong and good parent protecting my child,” she said. Harry appeared to echo the sentiment in 2024 when he said his life in the U.S. is what his late mother, Princess Diana, would have wanted for him.
While he acknowledged he missed his home country, the duke said the family had more privacy and that his son and daughter are able to do things the “undoubtedly wouldn’t be able to do in the U.K.” due to press intrusion and safety fears.