Prince Harry and Meghan have not decided exactly how long they will stay in the United Kingdom as they prepare to move back with their two children. Prince Archie Princess Lilibet Britain is at the center of the family’s timing, with school placements shaping when the move happens and how long it may last.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex plan to stay in the U.K. for an extended period of time, but they are not expected to return to royal duties. ABC News reported that King Charles III was informed of the decision on Aug. 16.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
School placements for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were part of the timing decision, making the move more than a simple return visit. The family’s children have been to the U.K. only twice since 2020, first in 2022 for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee and again this past July.
That July trip gave Charles and Queen Camilla a chance to host Harry, Meghan and their children, the first time in four years that the four of them had seen each other in person. Harry has also made other visits to the U.K. over the years, including a visit with Charles after the king’s cancer diagnosis in 2024.
California to the United Kingdom
Harry and Meghan stepped away from their roles as senior working members of the royal family in 2020 and moved to California. Their planned return comes six years after that break, and it leaves one central practical issue unresolved: how long the family will remain in the United Kingdom once they arrive.
For readers tracking the move, the immediate takeaway is simple. The family’s return is being planned around Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, but the length of the stay has not been set, and the couple have not commented publicly on the move.
Aug. 16 decision
ABC News said King Charles III was informed on Aug. 16, which places the decision on a clear timeline after the family’s July visit. That sequence suggests the move is already in motion, even though the final length of the stay has not been decided.
The next open question is how the family will organize the stay around Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, since school placements were part of the timing decision and the couple are not expected to return to royal duties.
