Prince Harry shared sad reason he refused to bring Meghan Markle back to UK

The Duke of Sussex previously discussed the reason why he refused to bring the Duchess of Sussex to the UK.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet will soon leave Montecito, California, to live in Britain.

The Sussexes left the UK and their roles as senior working roles in January 2020. In the years that followed.

When the couple decided to step back, they lost taxpayer-funded police protection, prompting Harry to contest the decision with a years-long legal battle.

The couple also relinquished Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor home gifted to them by the late Queen Elizabeth II following their wedding in 2018. They gave the keys back in 2023.

the Invictus Games founder had visited the UK himself. In September 2024, he returned to attend a children's charity awards ceremony for WellChild.

The previous month, Harry returned to the UK to attend a memorial for a family member, where he was reported to have reunited with 'estranged' brother Prince William.

Earlier in 2024, Harry flew to the UK from California after King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis.

The couple will return to the UK (Photo by Owen Humphreys - WPA Pool)

In September 2025, Prince Harry and King Charles took place on 10 September 2025, when they had a private tea at Clarence House in London lasting around 55 minutes.

However, Meghan did not join her husband for these trips.

While speaking to ITV in 2024, Harry explained why he had not brought his wife along, citing safety concerns.

He said the media frenzy gave him 'genuine concerns' about bringing his wife 'home'.

"All it takes is for one lone actor who reads this stuff to act on what they've read," he explained in an ITV documentary.

"And whether it's a knife or acid, these are things that are genuine concerns for me. It's one of the reasons why I won't bring my wife back to this country."

However, during the Sussexes summer European holiday this year, all four members of the family met with King Charles and Queen Camilla privately.

Their shock decision to move back to the UK was announced this week (Instagram/@meghan)

The young prince and princess also visited Althorp Estate gardens, close to the resting place of Dianna, Princess of Wales.

News of the couple’s return to the UK has sparked surprise among royal experts.

In the US, the family employed a private security team however the BBC reports that there was no comment regarding if the security team would be moving to the UK with them.

It is also unclear if the family will get official police protection in the UK or whether Harry’s dispute with the Home Office for official protection had been resolved.

After losing a legal challenge over his security in the UK, Harry told the BBC last year: "I can't see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point."

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.