Six years after stepping away from Royal Duties and moving to California in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to be returning to the United Kingdom with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, where the children will begin school next month.
The status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as non-working members of the Royal Family individuals will remain and the location of their new home as well as the children’s school will remain private. It is understood that King Charles was not told of the news until last Sunday, and it was not discussed during their meeting at Highgrove last month.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are relocating with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, to the U.K. for an extended period beginning this month, PEOPLE understands, with the children set to begin school there in September.
The couple will maintain their home in Montecito, California, and their vacation property in Portugal while establishing a private, non-royal home base in Britain. The location of the family’s new home and the children’s school are being closely guarded.
The move gives Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, their first home base in Britain since they relinquished the lease on Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor residence gifted to them by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2023. King Charles, 77, asked them to vacate the property following the publication of Harry’s raw 2023 memoir, Spare.
King Charles was made aware of the couple’s plans on Sunday, August 16, PEOPLE understands, and welcomes the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family in a private and personal capacity.
The move comes just weeks after Harry and Meghan returned to the U.K. with Archie and Lilibet for a successful summer visit that included the children’s first reunion with their grandfather in more than four years.
Charles is said to have been clear there will be no change to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s status as private individuals and non-working members of the royal family, in keeping with the wishes they expressed and the agreement reached when they stepped back from royal duties.
Those close to the Sussexes believe they have successfully executed the “half in, half out” model Harry and Meghan proposed to the royal family in 2019. With a base in Britain, Harry will be able to spend more time with charities including Scotty’s Little Soldiers and WellChild, as well as the Invictus community, while Meghan continues leading her lifestyle company, As Ever, and pursuing future projects.
Allies say the couple have built the independent life they envisioned — championing the causes most important to them while supporting themselves financially, paying their own bills and mortgage, and relying on no taxpayer funding.
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