Prince Harry and Meghan are preparing to relocate from California to Britain within days, bringing their two children to establish a new base in the United Kingdom after six years in the United States. The move marks a significant shift in the family's direction, with plans already taking shape around professional opportunities, charitable commitments and their children's education.
According to reporting from a major international news agency, the family is relocating to a private residence outside London, with the transition described as an extended period rather than a permanent return to royal duties. The couple will arrive approximately one week before the autumn school term begins for their children, seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet, who are expected to start classes in British schools by the end of the month.
Will Meghan return to acting?
A significant element of the family's UK plans centres on Meghan's potential return to professional acting. Over the weekend, multiple reports emerged suggesting that Meghan is in early-stage discussions to take on a role in Netflix's The Gentlemen, a comedy series created by British director Guy Ritchie. The show, which centres on a duke-turned-drug-baron character, is primarily filmed in the Cotswolds region where the family plans to settle.
According to a national broadcaster's report, Meghan has reportedly been offered a role in the series, which could be part of the reason for the family's move back to the UK. Netflix has not publicly commented on casting decisions for the third series, though filming is said to be imminent. Industry observers note that negotiations around such roles typically involve discussions about scheduling, the scope of the part and compensation arrangements.
Meghan has previously indicated her interest in returning to acting. When speaking in June of last year to businesswoman and podcaster Emma Grede, she reflected on her Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan and expressed nostalgia for the creative environment.
Sometimes. Being back on set with With Love, Meghan was great because I realised how much I miss my crew. I love being around a crew.She acknowledged that a return to acting was something she had considered, particularly given the financial benefits such work could provide for a family managing the costs of multiple properties, school fees and international travel.
Beyond acting, Meghan will focus on settling her children into British school life once the family arrives. She is not expected to undertake a full programme of public engagements immediately. Instead, according to reporting from a major American broadcaster, she will continue running her business venture, As Ever, from the UK while exploring additional acting opportunities. She may also make selective appearances alongside her husband at some of his charity events.
What will Harry's focus be?
For Prince Harry, the priority upon returning to the UK centres on expanding his charitable work and maintaining the patronages he has continued to support while based in California. He has recently completed his final charity engagements in the United States before his departure.
In Washington DC, Harry met with military veterans and their families and visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, America's principal hospital for injured service personnel. At Arlington National Cemetery, he paid respects at the graves of service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan—conflicts in which he himself served on two operational tours.
During his visit to Arlington, Harry met Sarah Verardo, widow of Sergeant Michael Verardo who died in 2024 from complications related to injuries sustained during his 2010 deployment to Afghanistan, and their nine-year-old daughter Elizabeth. Sarah described the encounter and its significance to her family.
All my daughter knows about princes or princesses is probably contained to a movie... she whispered to me and said, 'Where is his crown? Did he leave it in the car?' She was very dazzled by the ability to meet him and it made it made us find bits of sparkle for her at a young age in a very hard experience - and that means a lot to me personally.
The encounter underscores the impact Harry is able to generate through his charitable work—something he intends to expand significantly now that he will be based in the UK. Several charity engagements are already scheduled for September, including his participation in the WellChild Awards in London, an event honouring seriously ill children that Harry has long supported.
What role will the Invictus Games play?
A major focus of Harry's UK-based work will be the Invictus Games for wounded service personnel, which will take place in Birmingham in July 2027. Organisers have expressed an aspiration that King Charles, as head of the Armed Forces, might officially open the Games—an event that would mark the first public appearance together of father and son in several years. However, this remains an aspiration rather than a confirmed arrangement at present.
Where will the family live?
The family is expected to base themselves in the Cotswolds, a region where Harry and Meghan previously rented a property in 2018 and where they maintain friendships. Reports that the couple sought advice from former Spice Girl Geri Horner and her husband Christian Horner, who is Formula One team principal, regarding life in the area were denied by Harry and Meghan's official spokesperson, who stated:
Harry and Meghan are great fans of Geri and Christian… the Horners are not advising them on their return, nor have they been asked to do so.
The family will retain their multi-million-dollar home in Montecito, California, approximately two hours north of Los Angeles. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, who has been significantly involved in caring for her grandchildren, will remain living in California. The family also maintains a holiday property near Melides in Portugal, situated close to a residence owned by Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, with whom the Sussexes have remained close during the period of royal family tensions.
According to reporting on the family's property arrangements, they are expected to return to the United States regularly and continue using their international residences as part of their lifestyle.
How will the royal family respond?
The question of how extensively Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will engage with the wider royal family remains unresolved. Over the coming months, several significant royal occasions are scheduled that would typically involve senior members of the royal family: Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph, the Princess of Wales' Carol Service at Westminster Abbey, and Christmas celebrations at Sandringham. Whether invitations will be extended to the Sussex family has not yet been determined.
Trust between the Sussexes and the Royal Household remains a complicating factor. Caution, wariness and in some quarters outright hostility characterise the current relationship. These decisions are described as very much a work in progress, with no definitive answers yet available.
The move itself has been framed by Harry and Meghan's team as an extended period in the UK rather than a permanent relocation or return to royal duties. Some observers suggest it may provide an opportunity for the children to develop a relationship with their grandfather, King Charles, during their formative years while minimising disruption to their education. The coming months will serve as a test of multiple factors: whether Harry and Meghan find life in the UK appealing, how the British public responds to their presence, and whether the royal family can manage their duties alongside any complications the Sussex family's return might introduce.
Key Facts
- Prince Harry and Meghan are relocating from California to the Cotswolds in the UK within days, with their children Archie and Lilibet expected to begin British schooling in September
- Meghan is in early-stage discussions to take on an acting role in Netflix's The Gentlemen, which would represent her first significant acting project since marrying Prince Harry
- Harry will expand his charitable work in the UK, with engagements already scheduled including the WellChild Awards and preparations for the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July 2027
- The family will maintain their properties in California and Portugal and is expected to return to the United States regularly
- The extent of the family's involvement with the wider royal family, including attendance at major royal occasions, remains to be determined
