Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, plan to return<\/a> to the United Kingdom from California in a matter of weeks. They have already enrolled their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, in British schools so they can start the autumn term with their classmates.<\/p>\n News of the surprise decision, which broke late Wednesday in stories published by the Telegraph and Sun newspapers, has sparked widespread discussion about where the couple will live, who will pay for their security and whether they will return to royal duties one day.<\/p>\n But perhaps the most difficult issue is whether Harry<\/a> can repair his once-close relationship with Prince William, the heir to the throne, which was decimated by Harry\u2019s very public complaints of mistreatment at the hands of Buckingham Palace staff, racism in the royal family and the failings of the monarchy. There are also concerns that Harry and Meghan could try to upstage William and his wife Catherine, when they once again share the British stage.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat will be something for the palace to deal with \u2026\u201d Craig Prescott, an expert on the U.K. constitution and the monarchy at Royal Holloway University of London, told The Associated Press. \u201cThey wouldn\u2019t want Meghan and Harry\u2019s presence in the U.K. here to overshadow the work of the monarchy, and there will have to be some discussion and allowance for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Harry and Meghan wanted their children to grow up British<\/p>\n The couple are expected to live at a private, nonroyal residence outside of London and they won\u2019t resume their royal duties, which they gave up when they moved to the exclusive Southern California community of Montecito six years ago, British media reported late Wednesday.<\/p>\n Their return to the U.K. comes as King Charles III, Harry\u2019s 77-year-old father, continues to undergo treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer that was discovered in 2024. The prince said last year that he didn\u2019t know \u201chow much time my father has left,\u201d and has expressed a desire for his children to have a chance to get to know their grandfather.<\/p>\n While Harry and Meghan\u2019s decision is a surprise to many, royal historian Ed Owens said recent events created a pathway for the couple\u2019s return.<\/p>\n First, Harry spoke of his desire for reconciliation, then there was the apparently successful meeting between the king, his younger son and daughter-in-law<\/a> and their children last month at Charles\u2019 Highgrove estate in western England. In addition, there is Harry\u2019s stated desire for his children to grow up British and that the U.K. looks like a safer place to be right now, given the divisions in American society, said Owens, author of \u201cAfter Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?\u201d<\/p>\n Royal experts expect Charles to forgive Harry<\/p>\n Finally, Owens said he expects Charles to forgive Harry because as the supreme governor of the Church of England he has to demonstrate the teachings of Christianity, including the virtue of forgiveness.<\/p>\n William may find forgiving his brother more difficult, but someday he too will become head of the church, Owens said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt may be that privately William never fully forgives his younger brother for what he deems the betrayal of the family,\u201d Owens told The AP. \u201cBut publicly,\u201d he will, \u201cbecause for traditional moralists, traditional Christian values, they demand that there is this public act of forgiveness, that there\u2019s reconciliation between the brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles was informed of Harry and Meghan\u2019s plans on Sunday and the matter wasn\u2019t discussed during their recent visit<\/a> to the U.K.<\/p>\n Relations have been strained in the House of Windsor<\/p>\n Relations between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family have been strained since the couple gave up their royal duties and moved to California in 2020 to earn their own living. The couple later signed lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify.<\/p>\n![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Britain-Prince-Harry_56948.jpg\")
FILE \u2013 Britain\u2019s Prince William and Britain\u2019s Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo\/Martin Meissner, File)<\/p>\n
![\"Tourists](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Britain_Prince_Harry_57915.jpg\")
Tourists walk at Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kin Cheung)