Prince Harry reveals the real reason he and Meghan Markle moved back to UK with Lilibet and Archie

Prince Harry is reflecting on the reasons why he and Meghan Markle moved back to the UK with their children and his hopes for the future.

The world was left in shock in August when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made plans for their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, to attend school in Britain this autumn.

Since leaving the UK and stepping back from senior royal duties in 2020, one area of contention has been security. After Harry and Meghan stepped back, the pair lost their taxpayer-funded police protection, prompting Harry to contest the decision with a years-long legal battle.

After losing a legal battle over the levels of security he and his family are entitled to in the UK, the Duke of Sussex told the BBC in May 2025: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”

Prince Harry candidly discussed the reason behind his move back to the UK with his wife and their children in an interview with GQ. “I think that certainly, our attitude has changed.

I think once you've been through it, once you've been able to talk about it, and raise awareness to it, then people see it for what it is, it makes the environment slightly easier.

"It's not going to necessarily stop the behaviour, but I think the behaviour might-my hope that it will-change."

"What happened back then was then. What's happened over the last six years has been a continuation of that. Some battles that had been fought-and necessarily so.

“With everything else that's going on in the world, there's aspects of the past that I'm sure all of us-me, my family, and some of the British press-that we'd all like to leave behind us and work for the greater good."

Meghan has shared glimpses of her life back in the UK (Instagram/@meghan)

This statement came amidst a fractured relationship between harry and his brother Prince William and father, King Charles, however his relationship with the King appears to be on the mend after a successful, private meeting in the summer.

While the duration of their stay has not been revealed, it is expected that the family will make the UK their main home for an extended period while maintaining their property in California and a holiday home in Portugal. Their new home in the UK is not a royal property and is located in the Cotswolds.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex embarked on a trip to Nottingham last week for a special appearance at a charity.

Archie and Lilibet are now attending school in the UK (Instagram/@meghan)

Meghan and Harry greeted members of the public, snapped selfies and accepted stunning bouquets of flowers before the first stop during their day in Nottingham, which was a visit to the Community Recording Studio.

Ahead of her return, some royal commentators and experts had questioned how Meghan would be received in the UK, with concerns over her popularity among the British public.

Harry already resumed public appearances in Britain, including attending the WellChild Awards in September, continuing his longstanding relationship with the charity.