Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘set to leave UK’ after Sussexes dealt humiliating blow
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to Britain has already been accompanied by a series of developments that have raised fresh questions about how long the Sussexes intend to remain in the country.
The couple relocated from California to the UK with their two children in August, ending a period of around six years living primarily in the United States. Their return was widely watched because it placed the family physically closer to the Royal Family and came amid continuing speculation about Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles.
However, their move has not resulted in a restoration of their former royal role.
Instead, Buckingham Palace has formally reiterated that Harry and Meghan remain non-working members of the Royal Family and are to be treated as private citizens. The clarification was issued through the Lord Chamberlain and distributed to government and military officials, as well as senior representatives across the country.
That distinction could prove important for the Sussexes as they establish a new life in Britain.
The couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and subsequently moved to North America. Although their return means they are once again living in the country where Harry was born and where much of his family history is rooted, the move does not automatically restore the institutional position they previously held.
The Palace letter made clear that their HRH styles remain in abeyance and are not to be used. It also stated that their charitable activities are undertaken privately and that their position is effectively that of private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.
Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter has subsequently suggested that the couple may not remain in Britain permanently.
Speaking publicly about their future, Arbiter raised the possibility that Harry and Meghan could return to Montecito around Christmas, particularly because Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, remains in California. His comments are an assessment rather than an announcement from the Sussexes, and there has been no official confirmation that the family plans to leave Britain at Christmas.
Nevertheless, the possibility has gained attention because the couple’s return is already facing practical complications.
One of the most immediate issues concerns the education of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The children initially began attending a school in Britain after the family’s return. However, they were moved after only two days following discussions between the family and its security team about the practicalities of the daily journey. Reports said concerns included heavy traffic, the amount of time the vehicles could remain stationary and whether the family’s cars and security vehicles could remain together during the journey.
The Sussexes’ spokesperson stressed that the decision was not a criticism of the school or its staff and that the family remained grateful for the care given to the children.
The change nevertheless highlighted one of the biggest challenges facing Harry and Meghan as they attempt to establish themselves in Britain: security.
Harry has spent years challenging the arrangements governing his publicly funded police protection in the UK. After stepping away from royal duties, he no longer automatically received the level of protection that accompanied his previous status as a senior working royal.
His return has now triggered a fresh examination.
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as RAVEC, has decided that Harry’s security situation should be reviewed now that he is resident in Britain with his family. Meghan is also due to have her own risk assessment, which would be her first such assessment since the couple stepped down from royal duties in 2020.
Importantly, the review does not automatically mean that Harry and Meghan will receive an increased level of protection. ITV reported that the assessments are intended to reconsider their circumstances following the move and that the couple has been asked to provide information about their schedules and daily routines.
The issue is particularly relevant because the couple’s children are now attending school in Britain, creating predictable daily movements that could potentially affect any security assessment.
Harry has argued publicly in the past that Britain remains an important part of his children’s heritage and that he wants them to feel at home there. His legal disputes over security have, however, demonstrated how complicated that objective can be.
The latest developments therefore leave the Sussexes balancing several competing considerations.
On one side is their stated desire to build a life in Britain and give their children a closer connection to the country. On the other is the reality that they are no longer working royals and therefore operate outside the formal system that supports members of the Royal Family carrying out official duties.
That distinction was at the heart of the Palace’s recent clarification.
The wording also appears to establish an important boundary for any future public activity. Harry and Meghan remain free to undertake charitable and commercial work, but such activity is conducted in a private capacity rather than as representatives of the King.
Their return has therefore not represented a simple return to royal life.
Instead, the Sussexes are attempting to establish a position somewhere between their family connections to the monarchy and their independent public and commercial careers.
That could make their long-term future in Britain particularly difficult to predict.
The couple still retain their California home in Montecito, meaning a return to the United States remains logistically possible. Their decision to keep that base has also provided them with an alternative location should their British plans change.
For now, however, there is no official indication that Harry and Meghan have decided to leave Britain.
Their children have moved to another British school, their security arrangements are being reassessed, and the family has continued establishing a private life in the countryside. These developments point to an effort to make their return work despite the difficulties that have emerged.
The question of reconciliation with the Royal Family remains separate.
Harry has had meetings with King Charles since returning to Britain, including a meeting earlier in 2026, but the Palace’s latest clarification demonstrates that any personal relationship between family members does not automatically alter the Sussexes’ constitutional or institutional position.
That may be the most significant message from the current situation.
Harry can return to Britain. Meghan can live there. Their children can attend British schools. The couple can conduct charitable and commercial activities.
But none of those decisions, according to the Palace’s current position, makes them working royals again.
Whether the Sussexes ultimately make Britain their long-term family base or continue dividing their lives between Britain and California remains unresolved.
For now, the Christmas question raised by royal commentator Dickie Arbiter is just that — a prediction from a royal commentator, not a confirmed departure plan.
The coming months could provide a clearer indication of whether the family’s British return is intended as a permanent relocation or another chapter in an increasingly transatlantic life.
What is already clear is that the Sussexes have returned to a very different royal landscape from the one they left in 2020. Their home country may once again be part of their daily lives, but their formal role within the institution remains unchanged.