Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Friend Says Their Move "Is Not Sudden" and Their Temporary Stay Could Last Much Longer Than Expected

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in the U.K. on Wednesday, August 26, touching down in Birmingham, England via private jet as they prepare to settle into their new home with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Last week, People confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have enrolled their children in a British school and are planning to stay in the country for an extended period. But on August 25, a friend of the couple told the Daily Mail that their visit might be longer than it seems.

After news broke that Meghan is being considered for a role in Netflix’s The Gentleman, which films in Britain, many assumed that a temporary move was motivated by the duchess’s acting career. But a friend of the Sussexes told the Daily Mail that Prince Harry’s plans for family life in England are much more long-term.

“The way he sees it is that he will be here for the next 12 to 15 years, minimum,” the source said. “He sees himself as a full-time father and he will be here for them spending every Saturday watching Archie play rugby. That is the agenda.”

“Meghan has been aware of Harry’s views and discussing with him how they will bring the children up for years. It is not sudden,” the friend says of their move.

The insider added that Harry and Meghan “are the best and most committed parents” and are focused on providing Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, with the best possible education.

“There is no hankering after a royal status or royal engagements, it is not about that,” the friend shared. “He specifically doesn’t want to do that. This is about Harry wanting what is best for them and he wants them to be raised British, in Britain, and go to a public school. That is what the move is about.”

When sharing some of the potential motivations behind the Sussex family’s move this week, royal expert Rachel Bowie of PureWow told Marie Claire that education was one of the top priorities for the family.

“As any parent knows, the choice of school for our kids is not a decision that's entered into lightly,” Bowie says. “The U.K. is also world-renowned for its options. We may not yet know where Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will attend school in Britain, but we can guess that this is a decision that Harry and Meghan considered at length.”

Bowie adds that for Archie and Lilibet, attending a British school will allow the children to “better understand their modern roles within the monarchy, just as it has done for the royal family members who came before.”