Six years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped away from royal life and settled in the United States, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are preparing to return to Britain with their children for what is understood to be an extended stay.

Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, are expected back in the U.K. within the next two weeks, with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, set to begin attending school in Britain in September.

The family will live in a private, non-royal residence, although its location has not been disclosed for security and privacy reasons. It is also not yet clear whether the move will eventually become permanent.

Crucially, the return does not represent a reversal of the couple’s decision to step down as working royals. Sources maintain that Harry and Meghan have no plans to resume official royal duties.

King Charles was informed only days ago

According to the report, King Charles learned of his son’s plans on Sunday, shortly before news of the move became public. Prince William and Princess Kate have also been informed.

The King is understood to welcome the opportunity to spend more private time with Harry and his family. However, his position regarding the Sussexes’ royal status remains unchanged.

There will be no alteration to Harry and Meghan’s position as private individuals and non-working members of the Royal Family, in line with the arrangements established after their departure from official duties.

Sources also insist that returning to the royal fold is not part of the Sussexes’ plan.

The development is particularly notable because Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet met Charles at Highgrove earlier this summer. That meeting marked the first time in four years that the King had seen the Sussex children.

Despite the family reunion, the possibility of moving back to Britain was reportedly neither raised nor discussed during that visit.

Archie and Lilibet will attend school in Britain

One of the biggest practical changes involves the Sussex children.

Archie and Lilibet are expected to enroll at a British school beginning in September, although details of where they will study have not been made public.

Harry had already been scheduled to return to Britain next month for the WellChild Awards and had been expected to stay in a room at Buckingham Palace.

With the entire family now preparing for an extended period in Britain, that accommodation will no longer be required.

Harry and Meghan are nevertheless keeping their ties to the United States. They are expected to retain their £11 million Montecito home in California, where they have lived since leaving royal duties. The couple also owns a residence in Portugal.

Reports suggest they already have a house lined up for their stay in Britain.

Harry appears in Washington as news emerges

As details of the move became public, Harry appeared in Washington at a roundtable organized by The Independence Fund, an American organization supporting severely wounded veterans.

The Duke, who served in the British Army, spoke about the importance of recognizing the skills and experience of former service personnel.

“The world needs more heroes,” Harry said.

He explained that the goal was not simply to create heroes because they “already live among us,” but to properly value what veterans can contribute after military service.

Harry also discussed what he sees as the underuse of military experience in civilian life and said he was exploring a commercial solution that would value people who served rather than expecting them to contribute only as volunteers.

During an interview, Harry also spoke about the need for “moral leadership” and raised concerns about politics and technology, arguing that a very small number of people can make decisions affecting the wider world.

“What we need is the younger generation coming into leadership who perhaps see the world slightly differently,” he said, adding: “And I think a little less testosterone might do as well.”

What could the return mean for Prince William?

Harry’s return inevitably raises questions about his relationship with Prince William.

The brothers remain estranged following years of public tension and accusations made by Harry concerning William, Kate, King Charles and Queen Camilla after the Sussexes stepped back from royal duties in 2020.

Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt suggested the move could create a new dynamic inside the wider royal family.

“In the long term, the return of the Sussexes to the UK opens up the prospect of two rival courts, William’s and Harry’s,” Hunt said.

He argued that Harry’s presence in Britain could allow him to strengthen his improving relationship with his father while also making it more difficult for William to avoid the question of reconciliation.

“The surprise return of Harry and Meghan is likely to have left William apoplectic,” Hunt added.

That assessment is Hunt’s opinion, and no public reaction from William to the reported move was included.

Hopes the move could help a wider family reconciliation

Education Secretary Lucy Powell welcomed the news and expressed hope that it could become part of a broader reconciliation within the Royal Family.

She suggested that Britain’s schools and education system could be among the reasons the Sussexes want their children to spend more time in the country.

Powell also emphasized that Harry and Meghan are no longer working royals but said she believed many people would welcome the family’s return.

Public opinion surrounding the couple, however, remains divided.

A YouGov poll conducted last month found that 22% of Britons viewed Meghan positively, compared with 65% who held an unfavorable opinion. Harry was viewed positively by 33% and negatively by 58%.

A dramatic change six years after their royal departure

Harry and Meghan married at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in May 2018 and were initially seen alongside William and Kate as part of a younger generation of senior royals.

By March 2019, Buckingham Palace announced that the Sussexes would establish their own household, separating their operation from William and Kate’s amid reports of growing tensions between the couples.

In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back as senior members of the Royal Family, become financially independent and divide their time between Britain and North America.

Queen Elizabeth II subsequently determined at the Sandringham Summit that the couple could not operate under a “half in, half out” arrangement.

By March 2020, Harry and Meghan had formally stepped down as senior working royals and eventually established their permanent base in California. They also stopped using their HRH styles in an official capacity, while Harry later lost his honorary military appointments.

Security had remained a major issue

The latest development follows months of questions about whether Harry could safely bring Meghan and their children to Britain.

At the end of June, the Duke was still awaiting a review involving the Risk Management Board as part of the process through which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures considers security requirements.

Harry and his security team had been working to ensure that his family could safely travel to Britain ahead of next year’s Invictus Games in Birmingham.

Meghan ultimately traveled to the U.K. with Archie and Lilibet in July, joining Harry toward the end of a week of events promoting the Games.

It was during that trip that the family visited Charles at Highgrove.

The Invictus Games are scheduled to take place in Birmingham from July 10 to 27 next year, with around 550 wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, along with their families, expected from 25 nations.

Harry hopes Charles will join him in opening the Games, although there has been no confirmation that the King will do so.

A Home Office spokesperson said the U.K.’s protective security system is “rigorous and proportionate,” while declining to discuss individual arrangements.

A return to Britain without a return to royal duties

The Sussexes’ decision represents a significant shift after six years based primarily in North America, but the available information points to a return centered on their private family life rather than royal work.

Harry and Meghan had already strengthened their European ties by purchasing property at the Costa Terra resort in Portugal three years ago. The family visited the resort as recently as last month.

Their Montecito residence will also remain in their possession.

For now, the biggest immediate change will come in September, when Archie and Lilibet are expected to begin school in Britain.

Whether the family’s extended stay ultimately develops into a permanent move remains unknown, but their return places Harry, Meghan and their children physically closer to the Royal Family than they have been for much of the period since their dramatic departure in 2020.