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Return to Britain
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, plan to move back to the United Kingdom more than six years after stepping away from their roles as senior working members of Britain's royal family, with ABC News confirming the move this week.
“Jobson called the news "a bit of a shock"”
ABC News royal contributor Robert Jobson said the announcement was "a bit of a shock" and raised questions about how much Harry's father, King Charles III, knew before he was made aware of the decision.
ABC News also reported that a source familiar with the matter told the outlet that Charles was first made aware of the couple's plans on Sunday and is said to welcome the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family.
The BBC reported that the couple's surprise announcement will relocate them from the US to a private, non-royal residence outside London, with Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, enrolled to start at school in September.
The Associated Press said Harry refused to comment about the move to The Associated Press during an event Wednesday night, while describing the return as an extended stay that could help repair a rift with the royal family.
Security and palace silence
Security remains a major question as the BBC reported that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) will now have to make a new decision because previous arrangements were based on the Sussexes not living in the UK permanently.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told reporters the couple's security arrangements were a "private matter," while the BBC said the Home Office described the UK's protective security system as rigorous and proportionate but would not provide detailed information.
The BBC also noted that Prince Harry lost a legal challenge last year over how much he and his family were entitled to when visiting the UK, and that the Sussexes do not currently have automatic police protection while in Britain.
In the same coverage, ABC News said Buckingham Palace has not commented on Harry and Meghan's planned move, and Jobson said there could be "more going on behind the scenes" including the possibility that Harry could eventually seek a larger role in the U.K.
The Associated Press added that the family plans to live at a private, non-royal residence outside of London and that Harry and Meghan are not returning to royal life, while Meghan will continue heading her As Ever company from the U.K.
Children, schools, and fallout
The return is tied closely to the couple's children, with the Associated Press saying Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have been enrolled at British schools and will start classes in September.
“Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already been enrolled in British schools”
The BBC reported that their UK security was downgraded after they stopped being working royals in 2020 and moved to the US, where they have paid for their own protection, and it said Ravec's reassessment could determine whether they receive taxpayer-funded security.
The Associated Press described the move as coming six years after the couple's decision to leave their roles as working members of the family, abandon the trappings of royalty and depart for America, widening the gulf between Harry and King Charles III and Prince William.
ABC News said the decision does not mean Harry and Meghan are returning to royal duties, and it quoted Victoria Murphy describing the move as "a complete U-turn" after years of building a life in the United States.
The BBC also said there is no suggestion the couple are going to become full-time working royals again, and it warned that if Prince Harry does not get the taxpayer-funded security he has always asked for since stepping down, he would have to top up any security out of his own pocket.