Meghan Markle Agreed to Move Back to UK 'As a Family,' Sources Say, Citing Children and Harry's Homesickness

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to relocate to the United Kingdom for an extended stay was made collectively "as a family," according to sources close to the couple who spoke to People magazine, shedding new light on why Meghan agreed to return to a country where she has previously said she experienced severe mental health struggles.

A representative for the couple confirmed the move earlier this week, though Harry and Meghan have not personally addressed the decision publicly. In a statement provided to The New York Times, their representative said, "On the heels of a wonderful trip with family and friends this summer, Harry and Meghan have decided to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn. They are excited to have their children spend more time in the country that's such an important part of their family's story."

According to sources who spoke with People, the underlying reasoning behind the move centered heavily on Meghan's priorities for the couple's two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. A Montecito-based insider said the couple viewed the move as an opportunity for the children specifically. "Meghan feels very fortunate that they're able to give Archie and Lilibet the opportunity to experience both worlds," the source said.

Multiple sources told People the move had been "in the works for about a year," with the current political climate in the United States also factoring into the couple's thinking. Harry's own longing to reconnect with his home country played a significant role as well, according to California-based sources, who said the Duke of Sussex had "struggled to establish a close social circle of his own" during the couple's time living in Montecito since 2020.

A source close to the couple offered further insight into Harry's mindset regarding the move. "Harry never really stopped missing home. He's missed that sense of connection and belonging. Britain is still home in many ways," the source said.

The decision carries particular weight given Meghan's own past public comments about the toll her time in Britain took on her mental health. In an August 2022 interview with The Cut, Meghan described how sustained harassment from British tabloids had driven her and Harry to eventually leave the country. She explained that as working royals, the couple had wanted the ability to earn their own income specifically so their lives would no longer be entirely taxpayer-funded, a financial arrangement she said left them exposed to tabloid scrutiny "under the guise of public interest." Meghan suggested that becoming financially self-sufficient might have reduced that pressure. "then maybe all the noise would stop," she said at the time.

Meghan also described the couple's willingness during that period to relocate to another Commonwealth country entirely, rather than remain within the traditional royal structure. "Anything to just...because just by existing, we were upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy," she said. "So we go, 'Okay, fine, let's get out of here. Happy to.'" The royal family ultimately rejected the couple's proposed half-in, half-out arrangement for continuing limited royal duties, leading Harry and Meghan to step back from their senior working royal roles entirely and relocate to the United States in 2020.

Despite the passage of time since that departure, at least one source close to Meghan expressed continued concern about how she will handle renewed public attention during the family's extended UK stay this fall. "My biggest concern is the level of media attention she'll face in the U.K.," the insider told People. "I'm worried for her."

Other sources close to the couple struck a more reassured tone, noting that Harry, Meghan and their children will be returning as private citizens this time, rather than as working royals. An ally told People that Meghan's personal and professional network is now better equipped to support her than it was during her earlier years in Britain, describing it as "stronger now than it ever was to protect her — to protect them."

Sources also emphasized that the couple's relocation should not be viewed as a permanent move, describing their overall plans as fluid and subject to change. "It's not necessarily a forever thing," one insider said. Consistent with that framing, Harry and Meghan have not purchased property in the United Kingdom and will retain their existing home in Montecito, California, throughout the extended stay.

Security considerations may also influence how long the family ultimately remains in Britain, according to sources who spoke with People. The family does not currently have police protection while in the UK, and private security personnel are legally prohibited from carrying firearms within the country, a notable contrast to the armed security detail the couple maintains while living in the United States.

According to the sources, the family is expected to arrive in the United Kingdom in late August, ahead of Archie and Lilibet beginning school there in September.

As Harry and Meghan prepare for the move, the underlying tension described by sources close to the couple, balancing renewed connection to Britain and its significance to their family's story against lingering concerns about the intensity of UK media attention, is likely to remain a central storyline as the family settles into their extended stay in the coming weeks, particularly given Meghan's own previously stated history with the pressures of living under that level of public scrutiny.