Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Return to Britain With Archie and Lilibet as Family Begins New UK Chapter Six Years After Megxit

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived back in Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, marking the beginning of what could become their most significant UK chapter since stepping away from royal life six years ago.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed at Birmingham Airport around midday on Wednesday after travelling from California aboard a private jet believed to be a Bombardier Global Express XRS.

The family is expected to remain in Britain for an “extended period,” with Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, already enrolled in UK schools and preparing to begin the autumn term next week.

Yet their return will look very different from the royal life they left behind in 2020. Harry and Meghan are not returning as working royals, will live in a private non-royal residence outside London and intend to maintain their homes and professional interests abroad.

Harry and Meghan flew privately from California

The Sussex family is understood to have departed from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles before making the long-haul journey to Birmingham.

They reportedly chartered the aircraft through Planet Nine Private Air, a California-based private aviation operator.

Hiring a Bombardier Global Express XRS is estimated to cost around $12,000, or approximately £9,000, for every hour in the air.

The family is also believed to have brought their dogs, Mia and Pula, to Britain. Their chickens, however, are staying behind at the Sussexes’ Montecito property, where they will continue to be cared for.

The couple plans to maintain an international lifestyle rather than completely abandoning the life they established after moving to the United States.

Their properties in California and Portugal are expected to remain part of that arrangement.

Archie and Lilibet prepare for British schools

Perhaps the clearest indication that this is more than an ordinary visit is the decision to enrol both children in schools in Britain.

Archie and Lilibet are expected to start classes next week when the autumn term begins.

For Archie, the move represents something of a return to the country where he was born before his parents relocated abroad.

For Lilibet, who was born in California, living and attending school in Britain will introduce her to an everyday connection with her father’s home country that she has largely experienced only through family visits.

It is understood that no official photographs will be released when the children begin school or on their birthdays.

Sources have said the move was made as a family, with Harry and Meghan wanting Archie and Lilibet to have the opportunity to experience both the United States and Britain.

Harry reportedly never stopped missing Britain

Although Harry has repeatedly spoken about building a new life in California, sources close to him claim he never completely lost his emotional connection to Britain.

According to People, the duke “never really stopped missing home” and particularly missed the sense of belonging and connection associated with his upbringing.

Harry is also said to want his children to understand where he came from and the world that shaped his early life.

Meghan, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is reportedly supportive of giving Archie and Lilibet the opportunity to experience both countries.

Precisely how long the family will remain in Britain is still unclear.

Some reports have suggested the stay could initially last only until autumn, while others have raised the possibility of a significantly longer arrangement.

A private home rather than a return to royal residences

Despite the dramatic nature of the homecoming, Harry and Meghan will not move back into a royal residence.

They are expected to establish themselves in a private property outside London.

The Cotswolds has repeatedly been mentioned as one possible location, although the couple has not publicly confirmed where they will live.

Whatever property they choose, the arrangement is expected to remain completely separate from the official working monarchy.

King Charles is reportedly pleased that Harry and his family will be closer geographically, but there has been no suggestion that he is prepared to reverse the couple’s status as non-working royals.

King Charles recently reunited with Archie and Lilibet

The Sussexes’ return follows a significant family meeting in July.

Harry and Meghan brought Archie and Lilibet to Highgrove, where they met King Charles. It was reportedly the first time the monarch had seen his grandchildren in four years.

The couple is not believed to have discussed their planned move during that gathering.

According to reports, Charles was informed about their decision three days before the news became public.

The King is said to welcome the opportunity to spend more time with Harry and his grandchildren now that they will be living closer.

Whether the return could also help repair Harry’s fractured relationship with Prince William remains far less certain.

The William question remains unresolved

Harry and William have been estranged for years.

According to Harry’s memoir Spare, their father once pleaded with them following Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021: “Please, boys. Don’t make my final years a misery.”

The brothers’ relationship had already deteriorated around the period of Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding and became significantly worse following the Sussexes’ departure from royal duties.

Harry subsequently made a series of claims about the Royal Family during his interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple’s Netflix documentary and Spare.

William and Catherine have made no public comment on the Sussexes’ return.

They are currently among members of the Royal Family spending part of the summer at Balmoral, alongside King Charles, Princess Anne and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Reports have suggested Charles would eventually like to see his sons together again, but there is no confirmed indication that a reconciliation is imminent.

Meghan’s professional future could include acting again

The move comes amid renewed speculation about Meghan returning to acting.

The former Suits star has been linked with a possible role in the third season of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen.

Reports regarding those discussions have been inconsistent, and no formal casting announcement has been made.

A source close to Meghan has not denied that she has received an acting offer.

She will also continue operating her lifestyle brand, As Ever, from Britain.

Coinciding with the Sussexes’ arrival, the company unveiled a new Spiced Apple Butter made with “orchard apples and fragrant spices,” promoted as arriving in time for autumn.

Meghan also shared an Instagram Story showing a tea towel carrying the joke: “People who take care of chickens are literally chicken tenders.”

The post came as reports confirmed that the Sussex family’s chickens would remain at their Montecito home.

Harry will focus on the 2027 Invictus Games

Harry’s own work will also give him another significant reason to spend time in Britain.

The next Invictus Games will take place in Birmingham in July 2027, and Harry is expected to be heavily involved in preparations.

A source said he will be “in the weeds on it every day.”

The Games have remained one of Harry’s most important long-term projects, and being based in Britain could make it easier for him to participate directly in planning.

Security remains one of the biggest unanswered questions

One issue surrounding the family’s return remains particularly complicated: security.

The Sussexes were reportedly not provided with police protection when they arrived in Birmingham.

Harry has spent years challenging changes to his security arrangements following his departure from royal duties.

His level of publicly funded protection changed after he stopped being a working royal in 2020, triggering a lengthy dispute with the Home Office.

As of the end of June, Harry was still waiting for a review involving the Risk Management Board, part of the process used by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as Ravec.

Ravec includes representatives from the Home Office, Metropolitan Police and Royal Household and makes decisions concerning protection for prominent public figures.

The family’s longer-term presence in Britain could potentially change how their circumstances are assessed, though no new arrangement has yet been publicly confirmed.

Questions therefore remain over what protection the Sussex family will receive and whether any part of the cost will ultimately fall to taxpayers.

Not a return to the old royal arrangement

Harry and Meghan’s arrival inevitably evokes comparisons with their dramatic departure in 2020.

But there are important differences.

They are not returning to royal duties. They are not giving up their businesses. They are not abandoning Montecito or their other overseas interests.

Instead, the couple appears to be creating a transatlantic family life that gives their children deeper roots in Britain while preserving much of the independence they sought when they stepped away from the monarchy.

For Harry, it could mean reconnecting with a country he is said to have never truly stopped missing.

For Meghan, it offers another base from which to pursue her business interests and potentially revive her acting career.

And for Archie and Lilibet, it marks the beginning of perhaps the biggest adjustment of all: swapping California for British classrooms as their family attempts to build a very different life from the one Harry and Meghan left behind six years ago.