Prince Harry and Meghan have returned to the United Kingdom after residing in the United States for the past six years, according to reports from U.K. media.
Their unexpected decision to go back to Britain was recently announced, as confirmed by various media outlets including the BBC and the Daily Telegraph. The couple’s arrival was noted when their aircraft touched down at Birmingham International Airport around midday local time.
Flight monitoring services indicated that a private charter flight from Van Nuys, California, landed at the airport at 11:56 a.m.
Their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have been enrolled in British schools and are scheduled to commence classes in September. While the family intends to reside in a private non-royal property outside of London, the exact location has not been disclosed.
More than six years ago, Harry and Meghan stepped away from their royal responsibilities and departed from the U.K. to pursue commercial ventures with Netflix and Spotify.
Relations with the Royal Family deteriorated swiftly as the couple criticized palace staff for their handling of Meghan’s mental well-being and accused some family members of discrimination and media manipulation.
Harry has recently shown interest in reconciling with his father, King Charles, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. However, tensions persist in his relationship with his brother, Prince William, who is next in line to the throne.
Deadline’s Dominic Patten weighs in on Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s move back to the U.K., what may be driving their return and what it could mean for their relationship with the Royal Family and British press.