Μake us preferred on Google LONDON—The first inkling that a thaw in the relations between Prince Harry and his father, King Charles III, came earlier this summer.
In July, Charles welcomed Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children to his private estate Highgrove. The meeting was kept secret from the press, who only found out afterward, and no photos were made public.
Harry and Meghan, the duke and duchess of Sussex, hadn’t visited the U.K. in years, and it was largely assumed they remained persona non grata after their decision in 2020 to suddenly break with the royal family and move to California, where they dished dirt on the family and monarchy from afar. The hourlong get-together with Charles—who is receiving treatment for cancer —and his son and grandchildren was treated as a small but symbolic first step in a royal reconciliation.
Few predicted that the next would be a leap back across the Atlantic and the end of the couple’s six-year stint in California.
The decision by the Sussexes to decamp from Montecito, Calif., to England has flummoxed royal watchers. As the heat came out of Megxit, many assumed that the couple might gradually ease back into the British consciousness by making more trips to the U.K. while continuing to pursue commercial interests in the U.S. Now the Sussexes are enrolling their children into a British school and look set to stay at least for the medium term.
A spokesman for the couple declined to comment on why they had decided on this life change, but one thing is clear: The Sussexes won’t resume full royal duties.
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Mark Peterson
Harry has talked in the past about mending fences with his father and how he wants his two children, 7-year-old Archie and 5-year-old Lilibet, to know Britain better. People who have spoken to him in recent months say the prince has seemed increasingly wistful about his homeland and is optimistic about how he is viewed there.
Another reason for the sudden decision to up sticks and jump across the pond could be commercial. The Sussexes needed a “brand refresh,” says Ingrid Seward , editor in chief of Majesty Magazine, noting that the couple’s efforts to build a media empire in Hollywood have run out of steam.
Netflix recently pulled funding for the couple’s production company and Meghan’s As Ever brand, an online seller of jams, dried flowers and other home goods. The couple are looking for ways to monetize their brand while continuing their charitable work. Harry, for instance, is increasingly giving keynote speeches, including recently to a Canadian real-estate company.
Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in this undated handout photo. Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Back in the U.K., they could face an uphill struggle in public relations given their acrimonious departure and decision to cash in on details of the royal family in both a Netflix show and Harry’s tell-all memoir, “Spare.” Just 27% of Brits have a positive opinion of Harry, according to YouGov. Meghan’s approval sits at 18%.
Whatever the reason, the decision closes a chapter on the Sussexes’ first American foray.
When Harry and Meghan arrived in Los Angeles, they initially stayed at a home owned by film and television producer Tyler Perry, who offered it to them because of his concern for their safety and his mother’s longstanding admiration for Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
It was a sign of the social circles they would land in. Their early mentors in show business included former Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger and Oprah Winfrey.
In Montecito, the couple became a starry addition to the seaside community’s roster of wealthy residents. Harry was a regular at the polo club and Meghan was spotted at school drop-off (where other parents were told to never take her picture). Friends said Harry seemed to enjoy the solitude and privacy, especially as the son of a woman who had lived in the unrelenting glare of the paparazzi. The couple had extensive security operations in place for their children.
They have faced additional scrutiny in recent months. Meghan has come under criticism for featuring her children on her public social-media accounts while also advocating for social-media safety for young people. Harry has been sued for defamation by Sentebale, a charity he co-founded to honor his late mother. He and the other co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, quit the charity in a dispute over how it was being run. The charity claims the allegations by Harry undermined its work.
When Harry and Meghan arrived in California, their timing was auspicious. In 2020, the streaming boom was at its peak during the Covid-19 pandemic and the entertainment industry’s competition for subscribers meant executives were quick to sign name-brand talent to top-dollar deals. No one wanted to miss out on the show and the couple’s “Megxit” was the most tantalizing story in town. A Netflix deal worth up to $100 million and a Spotify podcasting deal worth $20 million followed.
Along the way, they had a hard time finding success with projects that didn’t mine their personal lives. Harry’s memoir was a massive bestseller and a six-part documentary about the couple was a top-rated show on Netflix. Harry had designs on Netflix nature documentaries, but nonroyal-related shows and movies floundered, and their Archewell production office experienced a significant turnover in staff. Netflix heard several pitches for various TV shows and movies and rejected them. One animated series that had made its way through development, “Pearl,” was ultimately canceled.
Netflix declined to renew the deal, instead opting for a first-look arrangement that ended its funding of the company. Earlier this year, Netflix also stopped funding Meghan’s As Ever company, leaving it to operate independently.
In December, employees at the couple’s Archewell Foundation were told the nonprofit was dissolving. The announcement blindsided staff, who had been working with the couple on initiatives extending from online bullying to vaccination campaigns. Harry and Meghan planned to focus philanthropic giving on grants that didn’t require them to operate a nonprofit themselves, according to former employees.
Meghan’s recent entrepreneurial efforts have focused on As Ever, a line of home goods that had originally been launched as American Riviera Orchard—a reference to a popular nickname for the Santa Barbara, Calif., area. But the brand failed to take off—before the partnership with Netflix ended and employees at the streaming service were encouraged to take home leftover perishable inventory.
Looking ahead, a looming question remains: Harry’s relationship with his brother, who will be king. The two aren’t believed to have spoken in years and British tabloids had reported extensively on Meghan’s infighting with Prince William’s wife, Kate. Former employees say the two couples have spent the years since Megxit monitoring one another, always making sure to counter any positive media coverage by planting their own.
