Prince Harry and Meghan to reside in the UK for extended stay without royal duties

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan to relocate to a private, non-royal residence outside London for an extended stay beginning this fall, according to sources close to the couple. Their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already enrolled in British schools and will start classes in September.

The Sussexes will retain their home in Montecito, California, and a vacation property in Portugal, and Meghan is expected to continue overseeing her As Ever company from the United Kingdom. Harry intends to increase his involvement with UK-based charitable work.

When asked about the reports, Harry offered no comment at a roundtable event with U.S. veterans in Washington. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on speculation about non-working members of the royal family, and a spokesperson for the couple also declined to comment.

The move follows the couple’s decision, made more than six years ago, to step back from royal duties and pursue media contracts in the United States. Harry has recently expressed a desire for reconciliation with his father, King Charles III, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness.

"I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore," Harry told the BBC, adding that he is uncertain how much longer his father has.

Harry and Meghan visited the UK last month, meeting the king at his Highgrove estate, where Archie and Lilibet saw their grandfather for the first time since 2022. No public indication of improved relations with Prince William has been reported.

Legal disputes continue for Harry, including a recent court ruling that could leave him liable for millions of pounds in legal fees related to a case against a newspaper publisher, and an ongoing disagreement over police protection while in the UK.