Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have arrived back in the United Kingdom, according to The Washington Post, CNN and BBC News, six years after the couple stepped back from royal duties and relocated to California. The pair are reported to be settling into a private residence outside London, with their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, enrolled in British schools for the coming term.

A move that surprised the palace

According to CNN, King Charles was only informed of the couple's plans to relocate on the Sunday before the news broke, and the decision was not raised during the family's visit to the UK in July. A palace statement said the King welcomes the chance to see more of the Sussex family in a private, personal capacity, and made clear there will be no change to Harry and Meghan's status as private individuals and non-working members of the royal family.

A row of honey-colored stone cottages along a quiet street in a Cotswolds village
The couple are reported to be settling in the Cotswolds, outside London — pictured here is Castle Combe, a village in the region.

What stays the same

The Duke and Duchess are keeping their Montecito, California home and have no immediate plans to relocate or wind down Archewell Productions, their media company, according to the Post. IF Daily has not independently confirmed the couple's exact new address or long-term plans beyond what has been reported by the outlets above.

BBC News coverage of Prince Harry and Meghan's move back to the UK.

The return caps months of speculation about whether the couple might reconcile more fully with the royal family, though both the palace and the Sussexes have been careful to frame the move as a personal decision rather than a step back toward official royal duties.