Halloween offers the perfect excuse to dress up, but for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, their costumes served a much greater purpose in 2016. Way before becoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the two were just trying to soak up most of their days out of the public eye. Once they learned the news of their relationship would be out soon, the spooky holiday was just around the corner and it was time for their last disguise.

In the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, the couple reminisced over the early days of their romance. They shared previously unseen photos, including a few from their first Halloween in 2016 when they attended an apocalypse-themed party with Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.

At the time, Meghan was filming Season 6 of Suits in Toronto so Harry had flown out to see her with his cousin and her then-boyfriend. During his visit, he was informed by former palace communications secretary Jason Knauf that the news of their relationship was about to go public, causing them to “pull the pin on the fun grenade.”

While appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in November 2021, the Duchess of Sussex remembered, “He came to see me in Toronto and our friends and his cousin, Eugenie, and her husband Jack, they came as well, and the four of us snuck out in Halloween costumes to have one fun night on the town before it was out in the world that we were a couple."

“It was a post-apocalypse theme, so we had all of this very bizarre costuming on, and we were able to just sort of have one final, fun night out,” she added.

In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry recalled that night at Soho House Toronto. He wrote that he borrowed his friend’s Mad Max costume, which kept his face completely covered and unrecognizable.

“The party was loud, dark, drunk—ideal. Several people did double takes as Meg passed through the rooms, but no one looked twice at her dystopian date,” Harry wrote. “If that’s the Apocalypse, I thought, bring on the end of the world.”

Although the Duke of Sussex expressed desire to stay in disguise “every day,” it wasn’t long after that their relationship became public and their lives were thrust into the spotlight.

A royal family tradition that comes around every year leaves speculation that a reconciliation between Prince William and Prince Harry is inevitable. For over three decades, the Royal Family has gathered at Sandringham House in Norfolk for Christmas. Although the Duke of Sussex has missed out on the festivities over the past few years, his recent efforts to reconnect with King Charles raised questions about whether he could find himself back on the host’s guest list and in the same room as his older brother.

In Woman & Home’s December 2026 issue, royal expert Emily Andrews said, "Certainly, an invitation to spend a couple of days at Sandringham with the rest of the Royal Family—some of whom Harry is still close to—would force the issue of a fraternal reconciliation."

The chances of the Duke of Sussex making a royal holiday appearance have grown exceedingly now that he has moved back to the U.K. with Meghan Markle and his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Despite their close proximity to the Royal Family, the Sussexes aren’t holding their breath for an invitation this year and have already made other commitments for Christmas.

Harry and Meghan reportedly plans to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland in California. While speaking to The Sunday Times, a source shared that when it comes to the holidays at Sandringham, “They know it would be too awkward and too difficult. They also know they’re not going to be invited, and they’re not waiting for an invitation.”

Although they will be occupied this holiday season, it doesn’t mean a future appearance is out of the picture. After all, the Duke of Sussex did confess to missing the royal family gatherings in the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan.

"Yeah, I miss the weird family gatherings when we're all sort of brought together under one roof for certain times of the year. That I miss,” Harry admitted.

Meghan Markle is reflecting on a year filled with new beginnings and plenty of reasons to be grateful. Following her return to the U.K., the Duchess of Sussex focused on embracing the changes and settling into her next chapter. Now, with some time to look back, Meghan has penned a heartfelt letter sharing the experiences that have shaped the past year of her life.

The Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, has released The Holiday Collection: Chapter Two filled with a carefully curated list of goods for the festive season to come. To introduce the 2026 catalog, Meghan wrote, “This year has reminded me how much joy can be found in the moments that make up a life."

“Evening snuggles with my children. Harvest baskets gathered for friends. Travel and adventure, time in the garden, building this business and sketching away at all the details, both big and small,” she continued. “A summer filled with laughter, wine and melting ice cream cones, followed by an autumn of new adventures.

“All of it has mattered. All of it has felt meaningful,” she added.

Meghan said the holiday season is an opportunity to carry that spirit of gratitude forward and bring loved ones “a little closer.”

The Duchess of Sussex’s letter seemingly alluded to her and Prince Harry’s recent move to the U.K., bringing them closer to their circle of family and friends.

The couple and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, relocated back across the pond in August. During his first interview since returning, Harry told GQ one of the motivations for their move was to be “closer to my family” and “back on U.K. soil for longer than a few days or a week here or there.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly began planning their move after Megan and her children were able to reconnect with King Charles and Queen Camilla in July.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry surprised just about everyone when they announced their intention to immediately move back to the U.K. from California. Since then, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a public appearance in Nottingham and they've also been spotted out and about in England. Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have experienced somewhat of a "a whirlwind," according to royal experts.

During an appearance on Hello! magazine's "A Right Royal Podcast," entertainment editor Emmy Griffiths shared, "Those kids are having a whirlwind, aren't they?"

Griffiths also noted that Archie and Lilibet were forced to change schools following a security breach, which likely caused some upheaval for the pair. "First one school, then they change to another," she explained.

Hello!'s digital content director Andrea Caamano interjected, "I mean, they changed [schools] after two days...It was all in the matter of the same week!"

Basically, Archie and Lilibet have experienced quite the "whirlwind" since moving to the U.K. with their parents.

As for where Archie and Lilibet might be spending their school break, which is known as half-term in the U.K., the publication's royal editor, Emily Nash, explained, "There was talk about them potentially going back to the U.S., I think they're more likely to have stayed in the U.K. or gone back to Portugal where they have a holiday home."

Ultimately, Meghan and Harry's decision to move back to the U.K. with Archie and Lilibet appears to have been a positive experience for everyone.

During an interview with GQ, Prince Harry recently shared, "It's been nice to be close to friends, family...and friends and their children as well—to be able to have endless play dates to really, like, help our kids settle in."

The Duke of Sussex continued, "To actually have my whole family there with me, the place that I grew up, wanting to be able to show my kids where I grew up and have them have the experiences, to some extent, that I had...provided real, proper, serious thinking as to, 'This is an opportunity, let's do it now.'"

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Meghan Markle says she is “deeply distressed” after a shocking report about her father broke in the Sun on October 22. Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., reported their father, Thomas Markle Sr., to police for alleged possession of child pornography, and on Friday, the Duchess of Sussex spoke out about the situation.

Thomas Jr. told police that he discovered “hundreds, if not thousands” of explicit photos and videos of children in his father’s home in Cebu, Philippines, and per the Sun, the FBI is now involved.

“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” Meghan said in a statement. The Duchess of Sussex continued that she was made aware of some “troubling” allegations against her father back in 2018.

“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection," Meghan wrote. "That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated."

Thomas Sr. did not attend the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's May 2018 wedding after suffering from a heart attack days before, and per the Sun, it is understood that the letter was shared with Meghan some time after the wedding. The duchess has been estranged from her father since.

“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them," Meghan wrote. The duchess added that she “trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families."

She concluded her statement: “Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”

The Duchess of Sussex does not have a relationship with her half-brother, who told the Sun he was "horrified" upon finding the explicit images and "had no option but to report my dad."

“I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years—but that stops now. I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him," he said.

Thomas Sr. denied the allegations, telling the Daily Mail that the claims were "sick lies."

“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” Thomas Sr. told the Daily Mail. “I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of."

Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, released the second part of its 2026 holiday collection on October 22, and along with the usual suspects like chocolates and a candle, the Duchess of Sussex has added a surprising new product to her business: dog toys.

Like the rest of the Royal Family, Prince Harry and Meghan love dogs, and earlier this week, As Ever gave a sneak peek at its newest product on Instagram. The brand shared a photo of a squeaky plush dog toy shaped like one of its most popular products, with the $20 toy reading “As Ever raspberry spread.”

When As Ever launched in 2025, its fruit spread became the brand's signature product, and the dog toy is described as "Inspired by our best-selling spread, now for your best friend."

On Thursday, As Ever's full holiday collection dropped, and along with the brand’s dog toy, Meghan introduced a new set of chocolate bars and gourmet popcorn in collaboration with California-based chocolatier Compartés.

The $75 gift set includes five of As Ever's custom flavors, including a white chocolate bar with Meghan's famous flower sprinkles. And keeping with the edible flower theme, the new popcorn tin is filled with chocolate-covered, sprinkle-topped popcorn.

As Ever's holiday collection also includes a new range of classic white homeware featuring a blue floral design, with the pattern available on everything from a tea pot to cloth napkins. Hand-woven rattan coasters, a room spray, reed diffusers, and a variety of gift baskets round out the new seasonal offerings.

As for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Christmas plans with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, friends recently told People that Meghan is “looking forward” to returning to Montecito, California for the holiday season after relocating to England.

“She does miss home—and her mom,” the source said. “They’re planning to come back for the holidays. Meghan’s looking forward to seeing her friends and making plans with them already.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry moved to the U.K. from California earlier this month. Since then, they've reportedly gotten their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, settled into new schools, and embarked upon their first official engagement. But according to a source close to the couple, there's one phrase the Sussexes really dislike hearing in relation to their work.

Speaking to the Times, one of Meghan and Harry's friends said, "'Working members of the Royal Family' is a really lazy phrase. He hates it, she hates it."

The friend continued, "They are not 'working' for the institution but they are members of the Royal Family and they work. Their days are built around their family life and their work. She's running a business seven days a week."

Basically, the constant insinuation that Meghan and Harry aren't working on their own projects, purely because they're not senior royals anymore, seems to be quite galling.

The couple's friend elaborated, "Things like [their visit to] Nottingham aren't done in the name of the institution or the Crown, but Harry is the son of The King, he is still a member of the Royal Family, he's just not a member of the institution."

Per the source, "It's misleading to call them 'former royals.' It has an impact on how they're perceived and the way people talk about them."

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Nottingham earlier this week seemed to show just how popular the couple has remained.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry surprised royal fans everywhere when they announced they were moving back to the U.K. from California. Now that their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have started attending school in England, a source is revealing how the Duchess of Sussex organized her priorities during the move.

According to People, a source who knows the couple recently shared, "After they first arrived in England, their focus was on establishing a routine and getting the kids settled into school."

The source elaborated, "Now, they're both excited to focus more on their work and the projects that matter to them."

As for how Duchess Meghan is prioritizing her time, the source claimed, "She's keeping busy, as she always does."

Per the source, "She has a great attitude about it all. The kids have adjusted well, and that's the most important thing to her."

On October 15, Harry and Meghan embarked on their first engagement following the move by visiting charities and organizations in Nottingham, England.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's spokesperson told People, "Everyone came away feeling really positive and genuinely thrilled by the love and support they received."

Meanwhile, body language expert Darren Stanton spoke to Betfair Casino about the couple's excursion, saying, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seemed very at ease in Nottingham. It was almost like they'd never been away from the U.K., despite all the years they spent living in America."

Ultimately, it's clear that Meghan and Harry wanted to ensure that their two kids were happy and settled at school above anything else.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first joint appearance since moving back to Britain, visiting a number of community organizations in Nottingham, England on October 15. A crowd of well-wishers and members of the media witnessed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s return to public life in the U.K., and one royal editor pointed out that there was an interesting way in which the outing was handled.

Russell Myers, royal editor of the Daily Mirror, told "The Royals Uncensored" show that he found it “absolutely fascinating” how the Sussexes—who headed back to the city where they had their first official royal engagement in 2017—widely publicized the event despite their previous fears over security.

He pointed out that for working members of the Royal Family, operational notes are sent out to the media that list the details of the event, and they’re often embargoed until the royals arrive or depart the location to avoid large crowds gathering.

“There was no such action for Harry and Meghan,” Myers said. “Anyone could have reported this.”

In the past, Prince Harry has been vocal about how he wouldn't bring his wife or children to the U.K. because of their lack of taxpayer-funded police protection. However, even though the Duke of Sussex is waiting on a review of his security status, his situation remains unchanged, and any member of the public could have turned up in Nottingham and known exactly where the Sussexes were going.

Myers said the couple would have “wanted crowds there and to create some sort of buzz" for the organizations, but that notion is also “totally at odds with not being able to go out your front door because you fear for your own safety.”

As recently as May 2025, the Duke of Sussex claimed he couldn't imagine a situation in which he'd ever bring Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to Britain.

"I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” he told the BBC at the time, adding that they're going to miss "everything" that he experienced growing up there.

According to Myers, they Sussexes were joined by their private security team and "community support officers" in Nottingham, but according to Jan Moir of the Daily Mail, who stood in the crowd Thursday, there was also a police presence. Moir wrote that she witnessed “backup from Nottingham Police” along with “at least one unmarked police car and one traffic police car in attendance."

“Three community policemen were also on hand to help with crowd control, but their services were not required,” she added.

From charity meetings to school chats with fans, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s October 15 trip to Nottingham, England had all the markings of an official day of royal engagements. Even though the couple’s current non-working arrangement with the Royal Family remains in place, a friend told Hello! magazine that Harry and Meghan “never agreed” they would stop carrying out royal-style events.

In 2020, Queen Elizabeth stated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex couldn’t move to California and still remain as working royals with a “half in, half out” philosophy. But a friend of Harry and Meghan’s claims that even though the late Queen decided they’d have to step back from royal duties, they didn't say they actually would.

“They never agreed they wouldn't be half in, half out,” the source said. “That was what was decided and foisted upon them.”

As the media outlet pointed out, Buckingham Palace released a statement on Meghan and Harry's behalf at the time, stating: "As agreed in this new arrangement, they understand that they are required to step back from Royal duties, including official military appointments" and "with The Queen's blessing" would "continue to maintain their private patronages and associations."

Royal editor Emily Nash of Hello! shared an Instagram Reel reporting on Harry and Meghan's day in Nottingham, stating that the Sussexes "are said to be untroubled by accusations that they are trying to resume royal duties by stealth."

However, these types of royal-esque away days will be few and far between, according to the media outlet, with Harry and Meghan only planning a "handful" of joint events over the next year.

The Duke of Sussex is continuing to focus on his charity work, as well as the upcoming Invictus Games in Birmingham next year, but Meghan—who is still busy with her lifestyle brand, As Ever—is said to be looking at a big return to acting.

"Her diary is full," a source told the outlet. "It's the kids, As Ever, acting and then supporting good causes in whatever time she has left over. But she's got a really good team around As Ever, the children are a bit older, they are both in school full time."

Meghan Markle has always favored delicate gold jewelry and a minimalist aesthetic, but she took it a step further during her first public appearance since moving back to the U.K. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a joint trip to visit organizations in Nottingham, England on October 15, with Meghan leaving her engagement ring and earrings at home.

The duchess wore head-to-toe British brands for her outing, pairing a burgundy Joseph coat and turtleneck with a skirt by The Fold and Jennifer Chamandi pumps. In terms of jewelry, she stuck to Princess Diana's Cartier watch, adding her Welsh gold wedding band, another gold band and an Aura ring under a diamond-studded gold cover by California designer Logan Hollowell.

Jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia, founder of U.K. jeweler Abelini, says it was striking to see “how little jewelry" Meghan wore for her return to public life.

“For such a significant return to public life in Britain, you’d expect a statement necklace or a pair of diamond earrings,” Rakholia says. “She’s gone the opposite way, and it looks very deliberate.” The jewelry pro shares that leaving earrings out of the picture “is a real decision,” adding that Meghan “isn’t leaning on diamonds to make the outfit feel important.”

The Duchess of Sussex has worn statement pieces in the past, but Rakholia notes that Meghan’s simple approach on Thursday was “a confident way to wear jewelry.”

“To me, this shows that what you choose not to wear can say as much as what you do," he says. "The look feels considered because she’s resisted the urge to add more.”

The Duchess of Sussex often wears pieces of jewelry filled with symbolism, such as the Logan Hollowell moonstone ring she sported in September 2025 or the Awe Inspired necklace she wore during a 2021 Vax Live appearance.

“Jewelry has always been a language for the Royal Family, and for years Meghan’s pieces were read and interpreted by everyone but her,” Rakholia says. “Here, she seems to be writing it herself.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first joint appearance since moving back to the U.K. this summer, visiting a variety of organizations in Nottingham, England on October 15. The couple chatted with fans who lined the streets to meet them, and Prince Harry revealed an insight into Prince Archie’s school life while speaking to a group of children.

In a video shared by journalist Alex Seale on Instagram, the Duke of Sussex asked the kids about school, exclaiming, “You like math? I love that! You know, most people don’t like math.” He added that Prince Archie, 7, happens to be one of them.

“My son turned round to me and said, ‘Can I go to a school that doesn’t do math?’ I said, ‘Doesn’t exist,’” Harry shared with a laugh.

Prince Archie and his 5-year-old sister, Princess Lilibet, enrolled in a British school last month, but security concerns forced them to switch to a different school after just two days. The Duke of Sussex shared what happened when Archie started class, revealing, “And he went to this new school and on the first day and the first class guess what it was?”

One of the children said “Math!” and Prince Harry echoed the sentiment, shaking his head and groaning.

Moving down the line to speak to more children, he reflected on the weather, and when one child wished for snow, the Duke of Sussex replied, "We can give it time. Snow in October might freak a few people out."

The Sussexes relocated from Montecito, California to the Cotswolds in August, with Thursday marking the couple's first public event together since the move. Although they remain non-working royals, the day mimicked a traditional royal engagement, with the pair heading to various community organizations such as Himmah, a Nottingham charity tackling poverty, food insecurity, racism and social exclusion.

Nottingham was also the place where Meghan and Harry carried out their first-ever joint royal appearance after their 2017 engagement, and the duchess nodded to the milestone by wearing pieces from Joseph, the same British label she chose nearly a decade ago.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might have moved back to Britain for the time being, but they’ll be heading home for the holidays. It was previously reported by the Sunday Times that the Sussexes “know they're not going to be invited” to Christmas with the Royal Family, and now a source has told People that Meghan is “looking forward” to returning to California for the holiday season.

“She does miss home—and her mom,” the insider told People. “They’re planning to come back for the holidays. Meghan’s looking forward to seeing her friends and making plans with them already.”

The Duchess of Sussex is famously close with her mother, Doria Ragland—who also lives in the Los Angeles area—and no doubt Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet miss seeing their grandmother regularly.

A friend of the Sussex family told the Sunday Times that Ragland would be taking the lead when it came to their holiday plans. "For Thanksgiving and Christmas, they will do whatever Doria wants to do,” the source said. “They would love her to come over to the U.K. and spend it with them here, but they will be wherever she wants to be."

Royal watchers have wondered if Harry and Meghan would join King Charles at Sandringham for Christmas now that they’re living in England again, but their friend shut down that idea.

"They won't be having Christmas with the Royal Family. How could that even work?” the source said. “They know it would be too awkward and too difficult. They also know they're not going to be invited, and they're not waiting for an invitation."

As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry settle into their new life in the U.K., their next step is already bringing them back to where it all began. The couple’s first public appearance will mark a full circle moment, returning them to the very place where their story as members of the Royal Family first unfolded.

On October 15, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to return to Nottingham, the location of their very first official joint appearance as royals After announcing their engagement in November 2017, Meghan was introduced to royal life in the city, meeting the public and celebrating local community work.

Almost a decade later, Harry and Meghan are no longer working royals. Nevertheless, the couple still hold charitable work near and dear to their hearts. During their upcoming visit, they will participate in a food bank and reconnect with some of the women Meghan worked alongside at London’s Hubb Community Kitchen before stepping back from her royal duties.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also check out the Community Recording Studio, which was designed to help young people affected by violence. Their trip will conclude at Epic Partners, a community-based charity focused on youth services, sports programs and mentoring.

“Nottingham is a really special place for them and they are looking forward to getting back out there into the community, together,” a friend of the couple told the Sunday Times.

Harry and Meghan have only recently found some free time in their schedule since moving back across the pond. In August, they relocated to the U.K. for an extended period with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, both of whom have already begun school there.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly made plans to leave California weeks after their trip back to England in July, when the Sussexes reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were relocating to the U.K. for an “extended visit,” many people wondered what might become of Meghan’s lifestyle brand, As Ever. The brand was primarily US-based, with no international shipping options and a large emphasis on their Montecito lifestyle. As Meghan continues to grow the brand, her famous herbal teas and candles will be jumping across the pond with her. The Sun’s royal editor Matt Wilkinson has revealed that As Ever will be expanding into the U.K. market.

The good news is that some of the more memorable products will be available in the U.K. “As Ever is expected to sell Meghan’s £11 tins of tea and £50 scented candles,” Wilkinson wrote. “Her £15 limited edition bookmarks, made in the UK with phrases in her handwriting such as ‘Fell asleep here,’ are also set to go on sale.” The bad news is that some of the more iconic items won’t be for sale. “Her jam—or spread—will not immediately be available due to food import and export rules, it is understood. And her flower sprinkles, seen in her much-derided Netflix show With Love, Meghan did not make the transatlantic cut either,” the royal editor revealed.

As Ever describes the spread as “one of Meghan's most-loved spreads to use at home—fresh, dazzling and crave-worthy,” which featured as the mysterious soft-launch for the brand. In 2024, jars of the infamous strawberry jam were sent to a select group of first customers, originally labelled America Riviera Orchard. The spread now comes in three flavour, sold alongside Meghan’s “100% California-harvested” honey.

Without the much-loved jams and flower sprinkles, the collection feels a little hollow. This might be a welcome opportunity to expand the product line to items that are easier to import and sell internationally, allowing the brand as a whole to grow. “As I pinch myself looking at how this brand has grown, and as we introduce our holiday collection, I feel very proud, and grateful,” Meghan recently shared on Instagram. “So proud of what we are creating together. Thanks for helping bring this vision to life.”

Prince Harry recently moved back to the U.K. with wife Meghan Markle and their two young children—Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

During an appearance in MasterClass's Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss, Prince Harry reflected on becoming a dad while looking at a photo of Archie and Lilibet holding hands.

"I love this photo," the Duke of Sussex shared with MasterClass (via Hello! magazine). "I took this photo. This was just before Archie's birthday. The two of them, brother and sister, at peace with each other in nature fills my heart."

Prince Harry also revealed, "I'm proud that we've got this far. You know, super happy that I've got two healthy, beautiful, amusing, very funny kids."

However, the royal also noted that there had been some challenges in learning how to become a dad.

"Becoming a father is an emotional rollercoaster," he explained. "I wish I'd known how hard being a father was going to be. But I wouldn't change it for the world."

The duke also revealed the advice he'd have given himself ahead of becoming a dad for the first time.

As Prince Harry shared, "I think the advice I would have given to myself is, 'Hold on tight, because it's gonna be one hell of a ride.'"

The Duke of Sussex got candid about losing his mom, Princess Diana, during his MasterClass appearance, too.

Viewing a photo of the late Princess of Wales, Harry said, "I find myself looking at her and wondering, what is she thinking about what I am doing right now?"

Becoming a dad might have been a challenge for Prince Harry, but it seems as though he's extremely happy with the family he's built.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently moved back to the U.K. from Montecito in California. However, the couple and their kids—Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet—reportedly won't be spending the holiday season with King Charles and the rest of the Royal Family.

According to the Sunday Times's royal editor, Roya Nikkhah, Meghan and Harry "know they're not invited" to Christmas at Sandringham with the Royal Family.

One of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's friends told the outlet, "For Thanksgiving and Christmas, they will do whatever [Meghan's mom] Doria [Ragland] wants to do. They would love her to come over to the U.K. and spend it with them here, but they will be wherever she wants to be."

The friend elaborated, "They won't be having Christmas with the Royal Family. How could that even work? They know it would be too awkward and too difficult. They also know they're not going to be invited, and they're not waiting for an invitation."

Nikkhah's report also suggested that Meghan and Harry are both extremely busy following their transatlantic move.

Per the Sunday Times, the Duchess of Sussex "is understood to be working full-time on her As ever lifestyle business, and is also planning to resume collaborating with some of her charities and patronages from her time as a working royal."

Meanwhile, the Duke of Sussex is planning for the next Invictus Games, which will take place in Birmingham, England, in 2027.

Perhaps most importantly, Archie and Lilibet are allegedly "happy and settled" in the U.K. following the move, according to friends of the family.

Despite not receiving a royal Christmas invitation, it seems as though the Sussexes are enjoying their move so far.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their Windsor home in 2020 for a new life in North America, and in a new MasterClass on grief, the Duke of Sussex revealed that he crashed emotionally once they moved.

The Sussexes relocated to Vancouver Island, Canada before buying their home in Montecito, California, and Prince Harry noted that he didn’t realize how much he was relying on “stress” to power through until he stepped down from his royal role.

“We moved to Canada to get some space away from everything, just to be able to think,” he said, per People. “Being in Canada, away from the stressful environment where presumably my body was just pumped full of adrenaline, within two or three days, I experienced this adrenaline crash—something that I’d never experienced before.”

The Duke of Sussex said that being away from the pressures of royal life felt like a shock to the system. “It was as if I needed stress in order to get the adrenaline to make my brain function because I became useless around the house,” he admitted. “I actually slipped into depression for about two weeks and I felt like I couldn’t function without adrenaline.”

Through therapy, Prince Harry has been able to address his unresolved feelings of grief from losing his mother, Princess Diana, when he was just 12. Part of this involved figuring out why he leaned on adrenaline to get through life, and he admitted that joining the military was "the perfect distraction."

“And for 15, 20 years, when I was being asked, ‘Are you okay?’ My response was, ‘I’m fine.’ It was numbness, emotional shutdown,” he said. “And without knowing it, adrenaline was pushing me, was driving me. It was the driving force of what took me to joining the military at the age of 20."

While he's been able to come to terms with many of his feelings, the Duke of Sussex said that from time to time, he feels the same driving force. “There are some public engagements that still involve adrenaline,” he shared. “I’m not gonna lie there.”

Prince William and Prince Harry are understood not to have spoken since 2022, but with Harry and wife Meghan Markle now living in the U.K. again, royal insiders have been wondering whether the brothers will reconcile. On October 6, the Express reported that Harry and Meghan were planning to make amends with the Waleses, but a source now tells People that any idea of an apology is off the mark.

"Harry and Meghan have always known since they decided to return to the U.K. that they would need to eat humble pie," a source told the Express. The insider continued that the couple's "one big regret about leaving the Royal Family" involved their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview, especially the revelation about a senior royal commenting about what Prince Archie's skin color might look like.

"Harry was angry with his family at the time, and backed Meghan up, but they now realize what a low blow it was," the source claimed. "They both know they're hot-headed and realize they took things too far."

Prince Harry has publicly stated that he hopes to reconcile with his family, and the media outlet's report continued that Harry and Meghan "really want a sit-down so they can address what they said, and Meghan will apologize."

However, a source close to the Sussexes have reached out to People to say that the report was "nonsense."

Although the brothers remain estranged, Prince Harry and his family did visit with King Charles and Queen Camilla over the summer, and there's hope that the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana's death might bring him back in contact with William.

Per the Daily Mail, a memorial service for the late royal is being considered with both the Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales in attendance. “While the boys seem to have rejected any chance of working together, the religious event might help heal the rift," said columnist Ephraim Hardcastle.

Last night, my teenage son asked me how much I spent a year on skincare and after a beat, I said “a lot.” Working at a fashion magazine definitely has its benefits, but being influenced by all of the new products out there (see: Marie Claire’s 2026 Beauty Awards) also has some downsides. That being said, one brand that I started using because of my job is Tatcha, and it’s all down to Meghan Markle’s longtime makeup artist, Daniel Martin.

Martin, who serves as Tatcha’s first-ever Global Director of Artistry and Education, has used the brand on the Duchess of Sussex for years, including on her 2018 wedding day to Prince Harry—and some of Meghan’s top products are now up to 30 percent off in Amazon Prime's Big Deal Days.

I started using Tatcha’s fan-favorite products several years ago after writing so many royal beauty articles including Meghan’s go-tos, so I was excited to see many of my picks are included in this year’s Prime sale.

If you can only try one Tatcha product, I’d recommend starting with its Rice Polish. Before her royal days Meghan praised the cleanser to Allure, sharing: "I really love the Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder. It just sort of foams on your face and gives you a really subtle exfoliation."

There’s a version for every type of skin, but I stick with the classic iteration, and since it’s 30 percent off in Prime’s Big Deal Days, you can bet I’m stocking up. Another one of my Tatcha must-haves (and Meghan's) is its Serum Stick, another 30 percent off deal in Amazon's yearly October event.

Martin told Allure in 2021 that he used Tatcha’s serum stick mixed with Danessa Myrick’s Lightwork Palette to create a custom highlighter for Meghan, but the product is often dubbed “Botox in a stick” because of its line-smoothing, hydrating properties. I use it under my eyes before applying concealer and have seen a major difference in how smoothly the color goes on.

When it came to Meghan's wedding day makeup, Martin said on the "Breaking Beauty" podcast last year that her skincare prep "was basically a lot of Tatcha." When the Duchess of Sussex briefly added links to her wedding day makeup on her ShopMy page, she included Tatcha's Luminous Dewy Skin Mist.

I was skeptical when I first tried it, but the spray—now under $35 in Prime Big Deal Days—adds moisture and helps your makeup go on more smoothly while also providing a pick-me-up in the middle of the day.

More of Martin and Meghan's favorites are included in the sale, including Tatcha's Water Cream and Kissu Lip Mask, along with a host of the brand's other essentials. The bad news? Wednesday, October 7 is the final day of the deals, so act now before prices go back to normal on Thursday.

Looking back to Prince William and Princess Kate’s wedding, royal lookalikes had a big moment, but when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in 2018, one Welsh man found himself booked and busy as a Harry impersonator.

Rhys Whittock says that he used to get “stopped on the street” about how much he looked like Prince Harry, and when William and Kate got married in 2011, he sent his photo to an agency. But it wasn’t until Harry and Meghan's engagement that his career took off.

Speaking to Heart Bingo Online, Whittock says his life became “super busy” around the time of the 2018 royal wedding. “I did a PR stunt for EasyJet, a PR stunt for Hot Tub Company where we ended up on BBC Breakfast News, and I also appeared on This Morning. It’s such a varied job. I was even doing advertising for a wedding cake for Morrison’s.”

The Harry lookalike, who says he’s never met the Duke of Sussex, admits he feels “kind of similar” in personality to the prince. “I went to a private school like Prince Harry, and one of my friends said, ‘Rhys, is this you or are you in character?’ It was so strange.”

When it comes to the Duke of Sussex’s voice and mannerisms, Whittock shares that he “used YouTube a lot” and listened to the audiobook of Harry’s memoir, Spare. “You’ve got his actual voice to listen to for hours and hours. So, I studied it and practiced the speed he speaks at and his tone,” he shares, calling Harry’s voice “quite different” to his own Welsh accent.

When asked about the “craziest thing” he’d ever been booked to do as a Prince Harry impersonator, Whittock says that he once “flew 12 hours to Macau, China for a billionaire's 75th birthday party.”

“The other lookalikes for Prince William and the late Queen Elizabeth II also came along, so all three of us were in business class at Heathrow Airport about to fly to China,” he recalls. “We had a lot of comments from the cabin crew!”

The lavish party was held for "one of the richest men in Malaysia," Whittock shares, adding that they "also created a replica set of Buckingham Palace, including the gates and the concrete pillars made from actual metal and stone."

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to California, Whittock admits that work got slower for him. “There were a few things that did make work go quiet, mainly because Harry did leave the U.K.,” he shares. “Then COVID hit, and that really killed events completely for a couple of years.”

He shares that another change that “was really detrimental to being busy” was Queen Elizabeth’s 2022 death. “She was the most popular royal for people outside of the U.K., and everyone really looked up to her,” Whittock shares.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Whittock had so many jobs coming in that he was able to work full-time as an Harry impersonator. “The phone would always be ringing, and emails would be coming in,” he says. “When things really quietened down, I got a serious day job, so I’m now working as an estate agent.”

However, he's been seeing an uptick in bookings since the Sussexes moved back to England. "I am very pleased to hear that they're back," Whittock says. "It is now believable that you could bump into them at an event. I think they obviously want to keep their privacy pretty tight, but I'm sure we're going to see Harry going to events and enquiries for me have been coming in."

Prince Harry and his family—wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet—recently moved to the U.K. from California. While the Duke of Sussex won't be resuming any official royal duties, he also doesn't want to upstage the Royal Family's important work, either.

One of Prince Harry's friends spoke to Hello! magazine about whether or not the Duke of Sussex would be taking part in any Remembrance Day events in November.

"He's not going to do anything that would pull focus from the Royal Family or the national commemorations at the Cenotaph in London," Harry's friend told the outlet.

The friend continued, "More likely, he'll mark it in the same way that most veterans do, privately, either at church or at their local war memorial's annual service."

The friend further explained, "He has no desire to create drama or do anything that could distract from his family's role in the national commemorations."

During an interview last week, Prince Harry said there were "lots of reasons" for his family's recent move. Speaking to CTV News, the Duke of Sussex said, "It's been great. It's been great to be back on British soil."

Harry continued, "The kids are happy in school and it gives me a chance to be able to really focus on the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July next year."

Meanwhile, Duchess Meghan has apparently been spending time at Soho Farmhouse where she takes part in reformer pilates classes, according to the Sun.

But when it comes to important royal events, it sounds as though the Sussexes have no intention of taking the focus away from what truly matters.

Prince Harry has been out to support causes like the WellChild Awards since he moved back to England with wife Meghan Markle in August, but the Duchess of Sussex has been sticking closer to their new home.

Meghan, 45, was recently spotted at a pub with former Montecito, California neighbor Ellen DeGeneres, but she has yet to make a public appearance. According to the Sun, the duchess has been spending more time at private member's club Soho Farmhouse and is an active participant in reformer pilates classes.

“Meghan absolutely loves reformer pilates,” a source told the media outlet. “It’s a great way for her to unwind as well as make new friends in the area.”

Soho Farmhouse describes its Wellness Barn as “an escape from the stresses of everyday life,” and it includes ice baths, an ozone sauna pod, treatment rooms and a wellness studio. The insider claims that the duchess “has become a regular at the classes inside the Wellness Barn and she’s chatty and polite.”

“Everyone in the classes gives her space,” the source added. “It’s a very tranquil setting and no one wants to disturb her peace.”

Meghan regularly took part in fitness classes back in California, telling People in 2025 that it felt slightly “uncomfortable” at first. "I go to group [yoga] classes that sometimes have 40 to 50 people in them and just walk in like, 'Hi!'" she said. "Of course, at the beginning, that felt like a lot.”

Along with reportedly hanging out at the Wellness Barn, Meghan has been helping Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, settle into their new life in England.

When asked how their big move has been going on September 25, the Duke of Sussex told Canada's CTV News: "It's been great. It's been great to be back on British soil. The kids are happy in school and it gives me a chance to be able to really focus on the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July next year."

Prince Harry appears to be pretty content with his recent move to the U.K. from Montecito in California. In a new interview, the Duke of Sussex discussed some of the reasons his family made the transatlantic move, and shared insight into whether his children are enjoying the change.

On September 25, Prince Harry was interviewed by CTV News after skydiving for charity close to Toronto in Canada.

When asked why Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, decided to move to the U.K., the royal said there had been "lots of reasons."

As for how everyone has been handling the move, the Duke of Sussex shared, "It's been great. It's been great to be back on British soil."

He continued, "The kids are happy in school and it gives me a chance to be able to really focus on the Invictus Games in Birmingham in July next year."

Harry was in Canada to take part in a skydive to raise funds for two veterans charities—Sunnybrook Veterans Centre and the True Patriot Love Foundation. The prince previously promised veteran Ed Marshall that he'd skydive alongside the former paratrooper. Unfortunately, Marshall—who turns 103 later this year—was unable to complete the extreme sporting activity, so his grandson skydived with Prince Harry instead.

"Ed has been really, really excited about this," Prince Harry explained. "...There was the medical evaluation he had and he was devastated he couldn't jump. But it was great to have him in the back [of the plane]."

As for how Duchess Meghan reacted to Harry's skydive, the prince said "she was very relieved" when he landed safely. He also joked, "I have just been blaming Ed anyway. I said, 'I don't want to do it, I wish I could get out of it but Ed is very persuasive.'"

Prince Harry also celebrated his return to the country, saying, "I love Canada. My wife lived here for seven years, most people thought that she was Canadian. Look, Canada has a very special, a special place in my heart."

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Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are living in England again, they have more opportunities to spend time with family and friends, including Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer. The 9th Earl Spencer recently appeared on the Lorraine show in the U.K. to promote his book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, and he spoke about his nephew’s recent visit with him for the first time.

"Harry came to stay in the summer with his family, and that was lovely,” Earl Spencer said. The Duchess of Sussex shared some glimpses of their trip on Instagram, including a snapshot of kids Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, walking through the grounds of the earl’s estate, Althorp.

However, Spencer admitted that he did feel a sense of “sadness” during their visit because of one family member who wasn’t there.

"Although when I look, you know, it’s so sad,” he shared. “I saw the two little kids running around, and the sadness of not having…Can you imagine what a great grandmother Diana would’ve been?”

He added that his older sister would have been “spoiling them rotten."

Princess Diana is buried on an island at Althorp, and in one of the photos Meghan shared, Prince Harry and Archie are carrying bouquets of flowers, with many speculating that they were bringing them to her gravesite.

In his book, the earl wrote about how he admired watching Diana in action with Prince William and Prince Harry. “She set thoughtfulness and good manners as the goal, with sensitivity to others also at a premium, he wrote, adding, “I have never, in my life, come across a better mother.”

Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, has written a new book—Swan Song: Diana, My Sister—about his sister's relationship with the Royal Family, the general public, and the tabloid press. In a new interview with the BBC, Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, is set to discuss the treatment his nephew Prince Harry has received in the public eye.

In his interview with the BBC, which will air on September 20, Earl Spencer shared (via Hello! magazine), "If you look at an article in a tabloid about Diana or the couple that you were mentioning, [Prince] Harry and Meghan [Markle], you know, they can be really, really unpleasant."

The earl continued, "And I think it would be really beholden on people to learn from Diana's example."

As for why he wanted to speak up about press intrusion, Earl Spencer explained, "I'm not here to speak for Harry and Meghan, but for anyone who's being destroyed in this way daily, it must be such a cancerous influence in their life."

Spencer also wanted to make it clear that he supports both Prince Harry and Prince William.

"I'm on my deceased sister's sons' side, both of them and if either of them wanted anything, then I'd be equally there for them," he told the BBC.

As for how Harry and William might be feeling regarding the release of Earl Spencer's new book, royal expert Katie Nicholl told Hello! magazine, "It's hard to know how [William and Harry are] feeling because ultimately, [Earl Spencer's book bombshell is happening...] at a moment in time nearly 30 years on, when they want their mother's memory laid to rest, they want her legacy honored, and continued in their charity work."

Nicholl continued, "To have it overshadowed with arguments, fallouts, rifts...that are now resurfacing three decades on, can surely not be what any of them want."

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Prince Harry made his first public appearance since moving back to England last month, and he shared some thoughts on his family’s relocation while attending the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards in London on September 17.

When the Duke of Sussex was asked by Hello! magazine what his highlight of being back in the U.K. was, he replied, "My highlight so far? Oh, I don’t know. Would I dare share it with you?”

After arriving in Britain on August 26, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have settled into a temporary home in an undisclosed location. Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet had to be pulled from their new school after just two days due to security concerns about the drive there, and Harry called their fresh start “eventful.”

"The last two weeks have been…it’s been eventful,” he shared. “But, you know, we’re getting stuck into the work. Kids are in school. We’re happy.”

The Duke of Sussex added that “it’s great to be back on British soil” and noted he was “looking forward to Birmingham next year for the Invictus Games that’s coming up."

Harry raised $2.2 million for the Invictus Games Foundation at the event honoring wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, calling it an “incredible evening.”

"It’s been many weeks, many months and years in the making,” the Duke of Sussex told Hello! of the event. “So to have a room full of, what, 340 people, and Invictus competitors from all around the world and their families, from every time zone that the world has to offer…we did it.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a huge step towards reconciliation with King Charles when they brought Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to visit Highgrove House this summer. But when it comes to brother Prince William, a reunion is likely further off—if one happens at all. However, royal author Russell Myers recently told People magazine that even if The King and the Prince of Wales have different relationships with the Duke of Sussex, they do agree on one major topic.

Harry and Meghan moved back to England on August 26, with the couple announcing they’ll be staying in the U.K. for an extended period as their children attend school. While King Charles is back in contact with his youngest son, the Prince of Wales has not spoken to his brother in years and according to Myers, has no plans to do so.

“William’s view is clear—any relationship his father has with Harry or the Sussexes as a family is entirely up to him,” the William and Catherine author shared. “But looking toward the future, he will have no relationship with them, in a working or private capacity whatsoever.”

But even if The King is happy to see Harry and Meghan again, Myers, who serves as royal editor of the Daily Mirror, says the monarch agrees with Prince William on one point.

“The King and William are completely united on the Sussexes not representing the royal family,” Myers told People. “It’s without a doubt how in sync they are on this matter.”

To make that point clear, The King recently issued a letter to U.K. officials reinforcing that Harry and Meghan are “private citizens” and have no plans to return as full-time working royals. “Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used,” the letter stated.

Despite the Sussexes remaining non-working royals, their potential appearances at family events could prove to be "incredibly draining" for the Prince and Princess of Wales, as royal historian Amanda Foreman told People. “They will always have to look over their shoulders and factor them in. And all they can do is deflect. Yet, they’ll get lots of jabs and questions: ‘When are you going to make up with your brother?’"

Prince Harry is celebrating his 42nd birthday on Tuesday, September 15, and wife Meghan Markle posted a special Instagram Reel to pay tribute to her husband. Along with celebrating the Duke of Sussex’s big day, the video revealed some new glimpses at the family’s life in England after they moved back to the U.K. in August—and Princess Lilibet managed to steal the show with her sweet style.

“He’s simply the best. Happy birthday, my love ❤️,” she captioned the video, which was set to a cover of Tina Turner's “Simply the Best.” In the Reel, Lilibet, 5, and big brother Prince Archie, 7, join dad Harry for some outdoor fun, but most of the photos feature the princess, including a snapshot of her wearing a headband that pays homage to one of mom Meghan’s favorite activities.

In one photo, Meghan and Lilibet ride in a golf cart as Harry leans in and gives his daughter—who is wearing a bedazzled headband—a kiss. Lili’s knotted white headband features gemstones and Mahjong tiles, and it seems she shares Meghan’s love of the classic Chinese game.

Mahjong dates back to the 1800s and has experienced a rise in popularity in the United States in recent years, with the Duchess of Sussex having regularly gathered with friends to play in California. According to Hello! magazine, Meghan is now teaching Lilibet how to play the complex tile game.

Prince Harry’s birthday video also featured glimpses at some of the family’s other hobbies, including a photo of the duke skiing with Princess Lilibet and a snap of him driving an ATV with Archie, Lilibet, and a Union-Jack themed Marks and Spencer bag in tow as their dog, Pula, runs behind.

The video comes a day after Hello! revealed that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have left their new school in England after just two days.

A spokesperson for the family shared that traffic and logistical concerns with the school made it difficult for their security team to get the kids there safely, with a representative stating, “The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements."

The children are now settling into a different school that better suits their needs, with the outlet reporting that "Prince Harry was spotted settling Lili into reception and the couple have been added to the parents' whatsapp groups."

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved back to Britain at the end of August, but the Duchess of Sussex has remained quiet about their major news until now. On Sunday, September 13, the Duchess of Sussex shared an Instagram Reel showing off some highlights from their new life in the English countryside, and she looked the part in two pairs of designer rain boots.

Meghan wore a quilted brown Cuyana coat and chocolate Le Chameau Jameson wellies as she held hands with Prince Harry in the video, which showed various glimpses of the Sussexes and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.

The duchess, who often goes barefoot in her Instagram posts, traded her sunny California lifestyle for some rainy English weather, sharing a clip of herself splashing in a puddle wearing a pair of jeans tucked into olive Le Chameau Vierzon boots in the Reel.

The brand's "Iconic Green" boots are also favored by Princess Kate, who has worn a slightly different Vierzonord style over the years.

The rest of Meghan's Reel shows Lilibet and Archie enjoying the British outdoors, with the duo fishing in a rowboat with dad Prince Harry and riding bikes as a herd of deer runs past.

While the Duke of Sussex has announced some upcoming charity events in the U.K., Meghan appears to be hanging close to home at the moment.

“There is a lot to do," a source recently told People. "They have just moved halfway across the world, and it’s been really busy getting the kids settled. Their focus has been on that, and will remain on that, for the time being. They are happy to be back.”

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Prince William and Princess Kate are just trying to live a nice, quiet life in the countryside. Splitting their time between Forest Lodge in Windsor and Anmer Hall in Norfolk, their days are spent balancing school runs and sports with royal duties. They like to avoid drama and headlines, focusing on their work and their family life. In the midst of their peaceful existence, the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the United Kingdom surely shook things up.

“It was a shock to William and Kate,” a source close to the couple revealed to Us. “They’re still processing it, but their initial surprise has evolved.” While many are hoping that their new close proximity might spark some healing conversations between the two royal brothers, the source cautions that nothing is likely to change right away. “They’re taking a wait-and-see approach.”

“No one’s booking a table for two for William and Harry,” the source joked. Plenty would be happy to see Prince William and Prince Harry reunited, bonding again as brothers, but the rift between them is bigger than ever. “Everyone wants a reunion story, but it’s not something that’s in the cards,” the source said. “If fences do get mended, it will be a slow and private process, and on William’s terms.”

King Charles is reportedly “pleased” that his younger grandchildren now live nearby and “hopes for closer ties to his son.” The source stresses that the King “remains cautious about managing expectations” as everyone gets used to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s big change. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are likely more focused on such a big move, settling their children into their new life in the United Kingdom. Several sources suggest the Sussex family have settled in the idyllic Cotswolds, with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet starting at a nearby private school.

King Charles has shared a statement regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's move to the U.K., which reveals whether the pair will return to official royal duties.

The Daily Mail's royal editor, Rebecca English, shared the news, writing, "In a letter of guidance to 'senior stakeholders' in the government, military, and those who represent the Royal Family around the country, Charles said Harry and Meghan's titles are in abeyance and they should not be treated as anything other than private individuals."

The King also referenced Prince Harry's ongoing call for adequate protection, writing, "security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities."

English shared the full letter in her article, which explained: "Following the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to relocate to the U.K., we have received a number of requests for guidance. To help avoid doubt or confusion, The King has directed that the following information be shared."

The letter continued, "It is well known that in January 2020 the duke and duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the sovereign, and are no longer working members of the Royal Family."

Furthermore, the letter noted, "This position, distinct from the state and royal duties undertaken by the working Royal Family, and with the personal latitude it brings the couple in respect of financial independence and protection of their privacy as they would wish, will continue to be fully respected."

Per the statement, "The charitable work of the duke and duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests."

The letter also noted that Meghan and Harry will continue to use their royal titles as previously designated, which includes no longer styling themselves as His or Her Royal Highness.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have moved back to Britain for the time being, but their relationship with Prince William and Princess Kate isn't showing any signs of improvement. The brothers have not spoken in several years, and a source recently told People magazine that the Waleses are avoiding a "knee-jerk reaction" to the move. While other royal insiders have suggested that it's on Prince William to reach out and fix their relationship, the Daily Mail's Richard Eden shared what a friend of William and Kate's said—and why he disagrees that a reconciliation should be forced.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down in Birmingham, England last week with their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, and the family is reportedly looking to settle down in the Cotswolds. Although they spent time with King Charles and Queen Camilla in July, Harry and Meghan have not interacted with the Prince and Princess of Wales since Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022.

At the moment, the Sussexes have no plans to become full-time working royals again, and it's not expected that they'll be making public appearances with the family in the near future. But Richard Kay of the Daily Mail noted, "At some stage they are going to have to engage, because they can't not engage forever."

However, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex have done just that in recent years. They didn't interact at King Charles's May 2023 coronation, and the brothers avoided each other at their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes's funeral in 2024. Prince Harry has also visited the U.K. several times for charity events and court appearances in recent years, but hasn't seen his brother.

"William knows that, above all, his responsibility to the monarchy, to the institution, has to take first place, so he'll have to put whatever personal differences he has to one side," Kay said. Continuing that Harry and William should "hammer out some kind of official line, even if it's sort of grip and grin in public," Kay added that "some kind of public-spirited sense of reunion between the two" would go a long way.

Kay's colleague, Richard Eden, wrote that he disagrees with his friend, noting that he thinks "the pressure being put on William and Catherine is unfair and wrong." Eden said he felt Harry and Meghan "betrayed and insulted the couple not only in their Oprah Winfrey interview but in their Netflix series, Harry's memoir Spare and in a seemingly endless stream of interviews that Harry gave."

After speaking to a friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the columnist said that the couple's plan is to "go on ignoring the Sussexes."

"It makes no difference if Harry and Meghan are in Oxfordshire, California or Timbuktu," the insider said. "William and Catherine will continue their lives of public service. They intend to lead by example."

Meghan Markle honored "the life and legacy" of her late friend and feminist activist Gloria Steinem—who died at the age of 92 on Wednesday, September 2—in a heartfelt Instagram post on Thursday morning.

The Duchess of Sussex shared three photos, including a snapshot of her son Prince Archie, in the post, writing that she was "grateful to know that in these last few weeks and days" Steinem "knew exactly how loved and admired she was."

The first photo features Meghan and Steinem relaxing on chairs outdoors and was taken during the 2020 "backyard chat" she had with Steinem when Meghan interviewed her for the Makers Women platform. The two formed a close bond following the discussion, and the duchess noted that Steinem loved Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet "with her whole heart," sharing an image of a framed photo of Steinem putting her arm around a toddler-aged Archie.

In a final, striking black-and-white image, Meghan and Steinem sit on a sofa with their cheeks pressed together in the author's eclectically decorated living room.

Meghan also revealed the meaningful gift that Steinem gave her in the post, sharing, "You all know her many accolades and the way in which she helped shape the world for women and all people - “we are linked, not ranked” she would tell me, and the bracelet she gave me said exactly that. I still wear it with pride."

The Duchess of Sussex, who recently moved back to Britain with Prince Harry and their two children, noted that she worked with Steinem to call "young voters to encourage them to have their voices heard" and attended public events. "But privately, she was even better than you would imagine," she added.

In a 2024 interview, Meghan told Marie Claire that Steineim "came for Thanksgiving" at their Montecito, California home, and in her post, she reflected on their friendship. The duchess thanked Steinem for "introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counseling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivaled cheekiness and wit."

Meghan Markle might be the most famous royal with American roots, but as the Sussexes settle into their new life back in Britain, there’s another member of the Royal Family who has American blood. Stephanie Green, author of American Crown, tells Marie Claire that Prince William will be the first British monarch with American ancestry—and he could even become an honorary U.S. citizen one day.

Green, who is active with the Daughters of the American Revolution, says that she was surprised to learn how Princess Diana “could have been a member” of the organization due to one of her patriot ancestors. The discovery sent Green down a rabbit hole of “sleuthing and discovering,” and the author found herself amazed with the story of Diana’s American ancestors, including her great-grandmother, Frances “Fanny” Burke Roche.

“She was one of the most celebrated beauties of the Gilded Age,” Green says. “She was born in New York in 1857 and I don't know if you watch the show The Gilded Age, but she is right out of that show.”

Much like Gladys Russell on the HBO period drama, Fanny Burke Roche married into the aristocracy, although her relationship with James Burke Roche, the son of an Irish lord, ended in divorce, as did her second marriage. Fanny died in 1947, and her granddaughter, Frances Shand Kydd, would give birth to the future Princess Diana in 1961.

Green says that she drew multiple parallels between Fanny’s life and Diana’s. The late princess's cousin, Lord Formoy, let Green borrow Fanny's diaries, and the author said the more she read about Diana's great-grandmother, the more she "realized how much she and Diana were alike."

"Diana, as you know, suffered from bulimia, from depression. So did Fanny. She's writing in her diary and she's covering every little margin of the diary page with just spilling her guts out about how unhappy she is, how trapped she is in these marriages that didn't work out, how trapped she is by her father," Green shares.

"So as I say in the book, despite all of their beauty, their clothes, their fabulous homes, their jewelry, these two women are just proof that you can be miserable and still have all of these things."

Like the late Princess of Wales, Diana’s great-grandmother also was the mother of two sons, and she says that twin brothers Maurice and Francis had “so much in common with Harry and William.”

“They both had glamorous mothers,” the author shares. “They both were the product of divorce. They both were subject to media speculation, and they both served their country in the military. They had transatlantic separations for a lot of their lives, but yet they remained very close brothers and they were always there to support each other.”

Green adds it makes her “very sad” to think about the comparisons between the two sets of brothers and see how Harry and William’s “relationship has deteriorated.”

As for Harry and Meghan's recent move back to the U.K., Green calls it "another twist to William's American story."

"The book is really about William because he's going to be King one day," she says, adding there's an "irony in having a King with all of this American blood, but having a brother whose wife is American who's going back and forth across the pond."

Diana’s American family ties don’t stop with the Gilded Age. Green says that the future King William’s family can be traced all the way back to the American revolution with his patriot ancestor, Benajah Strong, who was the uncle of famed spy and American martyr Nathan Hale.

Green visited Strong’s grave in Connecticut, which reads “food for worms,” and she said it struck her how ironic it was that his ancestor will become the future King.

“I have a chapter called ‘Food for Worms,’” she tells Marie Claire. “So you think, okay, this is William’s six-times great-grandfather who risked his life and his fortune to fight in the American Revolution to get rid of a King. And then in 2026, his sixth-time great-grandson is going to be King of England and he's going to be buried at Windsor Castle in this huge, ornate tomb.”

When asked what she'd like the U.S. public to know about Prince William's American connections, Green says she'd like to stress "How much closer we are than we think," adding, "And I'd like the British people to know that their future monarch is much closer to our country than we think."

"Having a royal family is within our DNA," she adds. "And so my hope is that someday Prince William will receive honorary American citizenship like Winston Churchill did. I just think it's a wonderful twist of history and I think it shows that families and countries are much closer than we than we think—and that story is still unfolding."

Swiftly following in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's footsteps, Sarah Ferguson has decided to move back to the U.K. after seven months in exile. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's ex-wife has remained incognito throughout 2026, following fresh allegations regarding her alleged involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were revealed.

People reported news of Ferguson's return to the U.K., noting that the former Duchess of York "has been 'keeping a low profile' and staying out of the country amid the fallout from her ties to Jeffrey Epstein." The outlet further shared that the ex-duchess "will be renting a six-bedroom property for around $8,000 per month."

The Sun revealed that Ferguson's new "gated home is situated in the Home Counties," which encompasses the area surrounding London. The newspaper also claimed that the former duchess's rental could be costing as much as $13,500.

Of Ferguson's decision to move back to the U.K., one source told the Sun, "She's had her eyes on a return for some time but it takes time to find the right new house."

The source continued, "She hasn't had to worry about accommodation for 20 years as she had Royal Lodge with Andrew. Now's the right time to get back to her life."

As for why August 2026 was the appropriate time to move back, the source claimed, "With everyone looking out for Harry and Meghan she thought she could slip back under the radar after seven months away."

According to the Sun, Ferguson's move back to England is due to take place "imminently," though further details remain closely guarded.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have officially left their Montecito, California home to move to the U.K. with their two children—Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. According to royal sources, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven't cut all ties in the U.S., but they're excited about multiple aspects of their U.K. move.

As reported by People, Meghan and Harry "left California" on Tuesday, August 25, and traveled "by private jet to England with their children...and their dogs, Pula and Mia."

One source told the outlet, "They wanted to spend time with the people they're closest to before they left and for the kids to have some special time with friends."

The source continued, "It wasn't a goodbye forever. It was much more, 'We'll be back, but this is what we're doing right now.'"

Basically, leaving Montecito was likely an extremely emotional affair for Meghan and Harry.

The source also shared, "They've been planning this for some time, and they feel it's the right thing for their family, but that doesn't mean leaving was easy."

The decision to move to England was probably quite difficult for the Duchess of Sussex, as she was raised in California.

"Meghan really loves their life in Montecito and their home there," the source told People. "There's excitement about what's ahead too, especially for the kids. They're really happy for them and for everything they'll get to experience."

According to the Daily Mail, Meghan and Harry are particularly excited about building a new home together in England.

"They have an English countryside dream," one royal source told the publication. "This will be the first time that Harry has lived in the U.K. as a private citizen where no one can demand any access to him."

As Meghan and Harry aren't senior working royals, they'll be entitled to privacy and won't be required to take part in official duties.

"Now [Harry] is going to have a chance to enjoy all of the things he loves about the country, but as a private citizen," a source explained. "They will have more freedom now."

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle touched down in Birmingham, England on August 26 to start their new chapter living in the U.K., and the first member of Harry’s family has spoken out on the couple’s surprising move.

The Duke of Sussex’s first cousin Lady Eliza Spencer, who is the daughter of Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer, told the Mirror that she was looking forward to Harry’s return to Britain.

“Absolutely, it’s exciting!” Eliza said during the launch of her rosé brand, Lala V, at London beverage retailer Hackstons on Wednesday night. “We would love to be able to find some time to visit.”

Lady Eliza’s new business venture shares something in common with Meghan Markle, who launched lifestyle brand As Ever in April 2025. Along with jam, baking maxes and flower sprinkles, the Duchess of Sussex also sells her own wine, including a rosé, which was added to As Ever’s collection last summer.

When asked if she’d be swapping some business tips with Meghan, Lady Eliza replied with a simple, “Maybe!”

Eliza, who announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Channing Millerd last August, has not announced her wedding date just yet, but has been working on building her new brand alongside her fiancé, who also serves as her business partner in the venture.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are rumored to be settling in the Cotswolds, and have enrolled their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, in a British school. A friend of the couple recently told the Daily Mail that Harry and Meghan could be in Britain for a decade or longer.

Discussing Prince Harry's plans, the source said, “The way he sees it is that he will be here for the next 12 to 15 years, minimum. 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.”

Sounds like there will be plenty of time for Spencer cousin meetups soon.

Princess Diana never met her sons’ wives, but her legacy lives on in some of the extraordinary pieces of jewelry that were passed down to Princess Kate and Meghan Markle. While the Princess of Wales received the most iconic piece from Diana’s collection, her sapphire and diamond engagement ring, the Duchess of Sussex also was given a number of the late royal’s jewels.

One of the diamonds in her three-stone engagement ring comes from Diana’s collection, and Meghan also regularly wears the princess’s Cartier tank watch, but the Duchess of Sussex has worn several of her late mother-in-law’s other earrings, bracelets and rings. Now that Prince Harry and Meghan have moved back to the U.K., Princess Diana’s jewelry will once again return to Britain.

“The notion of seeing Meghan on U.K. soil wearing Diana’s jewelry again would be significant because these pieces are now living quite distinct lives,” jewelry expert and Abelini founder Nilesh Rakholia tells Marie Claire.

“We remember them on Diana, but Meghan has been wearing some of them for years too,” he adds. “They are no longer simply pieces associated with one woman.”

Asprey Cocktail Ring

The most memorable jewelry moment from Harry and Meghan’s wedding came when the couple left Windsor Castle to head to their reception, with Meghan wearing Princess Diana’s enormous aquamarine cocktail ring on her right hand.

“The aquamarine is probably the piece I’d be most excited to see back in Britain because it now belongs to two very recognizable jewelry moments,” Rakholia says.

“For Diana, it became associated with a period when she was stepping into a new chapter of her life and making choices on her own terms,” he shares of the Asprey ring. “Then, years later, Meghan wore it on her wedding evening with that very clean Stella McCartney dress.”

As the Duchess of Sussex starts her own new chapter in the U.K. after six years in California, the ring feels like a fitting piece to bring out once again.

Cartier Watch

When Meghan was starring in Suits, she treated herself to the special two-tone Cartier Tank Française watch she’d always wanted, but little did she know that she’d one day inherit the same timepiece owned by Princess Diana.

The former Suits star told Hello! in 2015 that she had her watch engraved “to M.M. from M.M.,” sharing that she planned to pass it down to her future daughter. “That's what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them,” Meghan said.

Fast-forward to 2020, and the Duchess of Sussex was pictured wearing Diana's all-gold version of the Cartier Tank Française for the first time, and she’s worn it almost constantly for the past six years.

“For me, this is one of the most fitting pieces Meghan could have inherited,” says Rakholia. “She already had a relationship with Cartier before she ever met Harry.”

He adds, “This is what makes Diana’s watch feel like a particularly natural heirloom for Meghan. She wasn’t introduced to the design through the Royal Family. She had already independently chosen the same watch for herself because it suited her own taste.”

Butterfly Earrings

Princess Diana owned a pair of diamond butterfly earrings featuring blue gemstones, famously wearing them during a 1986 tour of Canada. Decades later, the Duchess of Sussex debuted the sparkling studs during her first major royal tour with Prince Harry in October 2018.

She's gone on to wear the earrings on several other occasions over the years, and Rakholia notes that although the studs "feel distinctly of their period," the Duchess of Sussex "has worn them in a way that stops them feeling like costume jewelry from the 1980s.”

The timing of Meghan’s first public wear has since given the butterfly earrings another association. "Diana wore them as a young princess. Decades later, Meghan wore them at the beginning of a tour when the world had just learned she was expecting Diana’s grandson," Rakholia says. "That connection didn’t exist when Diana owned them; Meghan created it simply by wearing them."

"That is exactly how heirloom jewelry accumulates meaning," he adds. "The physical object hasn’t changed, but the stories attached to it have."

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, it sent shockwaves around the world, and there was one member of the Royal Family who gently suggested that shaking things up might not be the best approach. Now that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have moved back to the U.K., royal author Katie Nicholl says that Princess Anne saw it all coming.

At 76, Princess Anne has been there through a number of tumultuous times in the Royal Family, and Nicholl recently told Hello! magazine that the Princess Royal “predicted” the Sussex family’s move wouldn’t pan out the way they’d expected.

“Harry has always had a very good relationship with his aunt Princess Anne,” the author said. “This relationship has certainly been tested and when I sat down with her to interview her back in 2020, just after Megxit, she gave me a very sort of coded message, which was, it's all very well the new younger royals doing things differently, but they shouldn't try and reinvent the wheel.”

In the April 2020 Vanity Fair interview ahead of her 70th birthday, Princess Anne hinted at her feelings about the Sussexes, who had left Britain just a month before. “I don't think this younger generation probably understands what I was doing in the past and it's often true, isn't it?” Anne said. “You don't necessarily look at the previous generation and say: ‘Oh, you did that?’ Or: ‘You went there?’”

She continued, “Nowadays, they're much more looking for: ‘Oh, let's do it a new way’ and I'm already at the stage, ‘Please do not reinvent that particular wheel. We've been there, done that. Some of these things don't work. You may need to go back to basics.’”

Nicholl says she took the Princess Royal’s comments “very much to be a word of warning, a cautionary word to Meghan and Harry that yes, of course there needs to be changes, but, but not to do anything too drastically.”

“I think she will be one who has sort of sat back, predicted all of this, not been surprised that they're coming back somewhat with their tails between their legs because things haven't worked in America,” the royal biographer added.

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.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are moving back across the pond six years after fleeing England for Montecito, California. This time around, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will choose a more private residence to live in for an extended period.

“Meghan is agreeing to try it, but she isn’t moving back to Britain. Six months is the test. She wants an exit strategy,” a source claimed to Rob Shutter.

Meghan and Harry’s representative also gave half a year as an estimated time. However, the rep also noted to The New York Times that the couple is flexible, saying, “It’ll be an extended period of time—it could be six months, it could be a year, it could be more—I don’t think even they know yet.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s move came together quickly: they reportedly got jump-started on planning their extended stay after a trip to England last month.

During their previous visit, the Sussexes reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla. After four years, The King and Queen met with Meghan, Harry and their children at Highgrove House in the countryside of England.

Prior to her last trip to England, Meghan has made minimal visits to her husband’s home country since they both stepped back as working royals and moved to Montecito. Since announcing their exit in 2020, the duchess has been vocal about her reasons for leaving, which she has said included severe scrutiny from the British media and royal family.

When it was announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be leaving the United States and making a shocking move to Britain, the first question many people asked was “why now?”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and seemed to be thriving in sun-soaked Montecito, California. But on August 19, multiple outlets confirmed that the couple had enrolled Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, in a U.K. school and would be establishing a non-royal residence for an “extended period” of time.

After news broke that Meghan had been offered an acting role in the U.K., the picture became clearer, but royal experts tell Marie Claire that there could be numerous other factors at play behind the Sussex family’s big (temporary) move.

Meghan's Career

Whether Meghan is starring in the upcoming season of Netflix’s The Gentleman remains to be seen, although People reported on August 24 that the Duchess of Sussex “remains in talks” to take part in the U.K.-based show, “despite recent reports to the contrary.”

If the duchess does officially sign on, it makes perfect sense for the family to base themselves nearby while Meghan films. As King Charles’s former butler and frequent royal commentator Grant Harrold tells Marie Claire, “These jobs can take months, and Meghan won’t want to be apart from Harry.” Speaking on behalf of CanadaCasino, Harrold continues that the move “could be huge for her acting goals, so I think Harry will be supportive.”

It Forces the Issue with William

Rachel Bowie, royals expert for PureWow and the former co-host of the "Royally Obsessed" podcast, says that Harry’s move could help push a potential reconciliation with his older brother, Prince William.

“The brothers famously haven't spoken in years and William especially seems to have zero interest in mending their relationship,” Bowie says. “But with Prince Harry local again, how long can William avoid the issue? That was perhaps a motive in Harry’s decision to return home.”

Noting that Prince Harry has “been quite open about his interest” in reconciliation with his family, Bowie says, “The U.K. is only so big. If Harry’s goal is to mend things with his brother, their proximity will likely be a repeated headline until William decides to, at least publicly, nip it in the bud.”

The 2027 Invictus Games

Next summer, Prince Harry’s Invictus Games will be heading to Birmingham, England, and he carried out a number of U.K. engagements in July to celebrate one year until the event. The games for wounded, injured and sick military veterans and armed services personnel are one of the Duke of Sussex’s biggest passions, and Harrold noted that the 2027 games “would be a key reason for the return, as they are in the U.K. next year.”

“Maybe Harry needs to be on the ground and needs to be here for some of the planning,” Harrold says. “Perhaps he feels that being here would make things easier and allow him to be more involved. Again, it ties in very nicely if Meghan has got this acting deal, because it means he can then focus on that while she's doing what she needs to do.”

Archie and Lilibet’s Education

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are growing up, and with Lilibet now of kindergarten age, they’re at a crossroads with their education.

“As any parent knows, the choice of school for our kids is not a decision that's entered into lightly,” Bowie tells Marie Claire. “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.”

The royal expert continues that “the decision to be educated in the U.K. will help Archie and Lilibet better understand their modern roles within the monarchy, just as it has done for the royal family members who came before.”

As for timing, the children will start school in early September, and Bowie says that such a big decision can’t exactly be made on a whim. “We’d bet that news of their move had to come much sooner, at least privately, in order to ensure that security arrangements could be managed,” she shares, adding, “this had to be one of the bigger factors guiding their move.”

Missing Britain

Although Prince Harry has spoken positively about living in California, he often discusses his love for the U.K. in interviews—especially how he’d love to introduce his children to their roots. After spending six years in the United States, it might just feel like the right time for a change.

“He could, despite everything he's said, have suddenly thought, ‘Actually, I miss the U.K. I want to come back,’ and then started looking at the options and reasons for doing so,” Harrold says. “I think the last few trips to the U.K. may have reminded him just how much he misses being here.”

The former Highgrove House butler notes that after Prince Harry and his family spent time with his uncle Earl Spencer this summer, he might have felt some degree of homesickness. “Maybe it resonated with him and suddenly made him realize that he's given up his whole life to be in another country and it's a country that he didn't really know before,” Harrold shares.

Keeping the Memory of Diana Closer

As Harrold points out, Harry spent time at his mother’s childhood home, Althorp House, this summer while visiting his uncle, Earl Spencer. Keeping Princess Diana’s legacy alive is important to both Prince Harry and Prince William, and Bowie says that living in England again will give the Duke of Sussex the chance to “honor her memory more directly and in conjunction with his children, who are now older and better equipped to understand her impact on his life.”

“With the release of his memoir Spare, we know the effort Harry makes on a daily basis to keep the memory of his mother close,” she adds, pointing to the photos of the duke carrying flowers while walking with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on the Althorp grounds, where Diana is buried.

More Time With King Charles

Harrold shares that he thinks being close to King Charles, who continues to battle cancer, “could be a very big part” of the move. “As the pair work to repair their relationship, I think Harry will want to spend as much time with his dad as possible,” he says.

Prince Harry recently reunited with his father and Queen Camilla at The King’s country estate, Highgrove House, and Harrold recalls fond memories of Charles and Harry interacting at the Gloucestershire home.

“Despite everything that's been said, Harry adores his dad,” Harrold shares. “When I was there, I witnessed the relationship between the two of them, and it was very fun and very comical. Harry used to do a lot of things to make his dad smile, and his dad used to do a lot of things to make Harry smile.”

“There's always been a strong bond between William and his dad as well, but William is the elder brother, so he's perhaps a little bit more able to take care of himself,” he adds. “I think Harry possibly got a little bit more of the extra love and attention.”

Prince William hasn’t been shy about his plans to modernize the monarchy when he eventually takes the throne. In October 2025, the Prince of Wales told actor Eugene Levy that “change for good” was on his “agenda,” and in his recent Substack, royal biographer Andrew Morton wondered if that might include removing titles of some of William’s family members.

Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be moving back to the U.K.—at least for the current school year, it seems—Morton wrote that King Charles’s “cautious embrace of his returning prodigal son” will likely ruffle feathers with Prince William.

The brothers haven’t spoken in several years following Prince Harry’s move to America and bombshell memoir, Spare. And with tensions still running high, Morton wrote that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now “well on the way to getting what they wanted” of being “half-in, half-out” royals despite Queen Elizabeth’s wishes.

“The only way that Queen Elizabeth II’s decision can now be honoured is if their titles are stripped along with their children,” the Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words author wrote.

“Otherwise, they are working royals by proxy with all the freedom and earning power they wanted in the first place,” he added, referencing the couple’s commercial work that they plan to continue while living in the U.K. while also carrying out their private charity work.

Morton pointed to a controversial decision made by Denmark’s former monarch, Queen Margrethe, as an example of the path William might choose to take when he becomes King.

“It’s clear an ailing King Charles will not resolve this irreconcilable tension, but a future King William V may very well follow Queen Margrethe of Denmark, who stripped four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, and remove those of his brother and his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie,” Morton wrote.

Queen Margrethe has two sons, King Frederik and Prince Joachim, and in 2022, she announced that the titles of Joachim’s four children would be discontinued in an attempt to streamline the monarchy.

If Prince William took the same step and removed the titles of Prince Harry and Meghan, along with those of non-working royals Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, Morton says that he’d likely “find a public broadly supportive of such a measure.”

No matter what the Prince of Wales chooses to do in regards to his brother is anyone’s guess. But as Morton noted, “What happens next may surprise us, and it’s quite possible King William V will be all the better for a bit of sibling rivalry as he prepares for the job of a lifetime.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surprised royal fans when they announced their intention to move back to the U.K. immediately. Now, one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's close friends has weighed in on the couple's decision to leave Montecito, California.

During an appearance on British TV show This Morning on August 21, author and journalist Bryony Gordon shared (via Hello! magazine), "What I understand is that they have decided to be more of an international family."

Gordon continued, "California is lovely. I've been to their house in Montecito. It's gorgeous. They're not letting go of it. It will remain somewhere that you can escape to."

As for why the Sussexes decided to move to the U.K. in 2026, the writer explained, "What I understand is that as lovely as California is, it's a long way away from lots of things."

The family's recent trip to the U.K. included spending time at Princess Diana's ancestral home, Althorp House, with her brother Earl Spencer. According to Gordon, Archie and Lilibet's positive experiences visiting England likely contributed to the family's decision to move.

"When they came in July, they had a really lovely time at Althorp…with [Harry's] uncle, Earl Spencer," Gordon said. "I think that was really lovely, and I think the kids really loved it, and I think they want to be closer to that."

When asked about the expenses required to keep homes in the U.S. and the U.K., Gordon replied, "I guess that they just have lots of money, don't they? I don't know."

The author continued, "I don't know how they're going to fund it, but what I do know is that the plan is, is that they're going to be...more international."

Basically, Meghan, Harry, Archie, and Lilibet are about to undergo a huge change when they leave Montecito to build a new life in England.

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It's been a huge week for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who revealed their plans to move their family to the U.K. immediately. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are set to make England their home again. But according to multiple reports, some of the family's pets might not be making the transatlantic trip with them.

According to Hello! magazine, "[I]t's thought that the dogs will come with them." However, "the chickens are unlikely to be crossing the Atlantic." Royal fans can rest easy though as, according to the outlet, "this doesn't mean that the birds will be gotten rid of, as in the family's absence, staff will be tending to their Montecito home."

Meghan and Harry's two dogs, Pula and Mia, will move to the U.K. with the family, the publication suggested. Both dogs regularly feature on Meghan's Instagram account and also appeared in her Netflix lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan.

Footage of Meghan and Harry's chicken coop was shared during the couple's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Adorably named "Archie's Chick Inn," the coop included a plethora of chickens the couple rescued from a factory farm. Understandably, it's likely not practical to move a chicken coop from the U.S. to the U.K., but the family will probably miss having the animals in their new backyard.

Meghan and Harry even adopted a bird from Ellen DeGeneres, who shared on social media, "Sinkie's leg is fixed but our chickens were still picking on her so she had to be re-homed. Luckily our friends Harry and Meghan's coop had room for one more. Not sure yet what her royal title will be."

For now, at least, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will sadly be separated from their beloved Montecito chicken coop.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to move back to the U.K. imminently with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Despite presumably being incredibly busy with their transatlantic plans, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released an emotional message regarding an important topic.

In a statement shared on their official website, Meghan and Harry addressed the fact that 29 States have decided to take Facebook and Instagram owner Meta to court regarding child safety.

"An unprecedented bipartisan coalition of 29 state governments is coming together to demand accountability for privacy violations and unsafe design features putting young people at risk on Meta's apps, Facebook and Instagram," the statement explained.

They continued, "Meta's business model is not only leading to, but reliant on, the exploitation of young people's data and attention...This trial confirms what families and experts have been saying for years—Meta's harms were a financial choice, not an innovation accident."

Meghan and Harry's statement continued, "It's hard to fathom how Meta can withstand the facts highlighted in whistleblower testimony from father and former Meta employee Arturo Bejar's recollection of Meta's 'don't ask, don't tell' approach to child safety; the well-documented internal documentation showing Meta's active pursuit of their technology's addictive properties; or the power of countless stories from parents who have lost their children to suicide, and families who have witnessed irreparable harm to their children."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex concluded their message by writing, "We stand with [parents and advocates] as we wait to see what this trial will mean for children across the country and the world."

Following their move to the U.K., it seems clear Meghan and Harry will remain focused on the charities and issues they have always supported.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to move back to the U.K. with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Numerous reports have since discussed the logistics of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's transatlantic move, amidst the news that Meghan might return to acting. But according to one royal expert, some members of the Royal Family might be planning to "avoid" Meghan and Harry for the foreseeable future.

During an appearance on Hello! magazine's "A Right Royal Podcast," the publication's royal editor, Emily Nash, discussed how the Royal Family might be feeling about Meghan and Harry's news.

Nash shared, "I think this is going to be very much one step at a time, and from people I've been speaking to who know [Meghan and Harry], I think they're very much working on the basis of let's get the children settled, let's get started on what we want to do, and then the rest is something to consider down the line."

The royal expert continued, "But crucial to them is the relationship with The King. You can't go any higher than him. And if you have him on side and you are spending time with him, then that does half of the work for you."

However, according to Nash, it's possible that some Royal Family members won't want to spend time with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex upon their return.

"There is a risk, I think, that other members of the family continue to avoid them, it might make them look petty or unforgiving," Nash shared. "Now, there's a lot that would need to be forgiven. Let's be honest about this. And you can absolutely understand why William and Kate might never want to go there."

Nash continued, "You know, their decision to leave affected that whole generation of the Royal Family."

Hopefully Meghan and Harry's move to the U.K. will go as smoothly as possible, in spite of any possible family disagreements.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming move to the U.K. sent shockwaves around the world when it was announced earlier this week, with many wondering about the motivations behind the family leaving California. But a surprising new twist in the situation emerged on August 21 when multiple outlets reported that the Duchess of Sussex has been offered a new acting role in Britain.

Bronte Coy of News.com.au broke the story on Friday, telling BBC Radio 4’s “Today” Show that the Duchess of Sussex will be returning to acting while the family temporarily lives in England. “I’m told it’s significant, and she’s very excited about it,” Coy said.

Representatives for the Duchess of Sussex declined to comment on Meghan’s potential acting role when Marie Claire reached out for clarification, but did not deny the report.

The Telegraph reported that Meghan is “poised to accept” the unknown job, adding, “It is understood the offer of the role, which was only made recently, formed part of the decision-making process in the family relocating to the U.K. but was not the sole reason.”

Meghan starred as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits before marrying Prince Harry in 2018, and she stepped away from TV once she became a senior working royal. However, she dipped her toe back into acting last fall when she filmed a cameo role as herself in the upcoming movie Close Personal Friends.

On August 19, multiple outlets confirmed that the couple will be leaving their Montecito, California home to set up a non-royal residence somewhere in Britain for an “extended period.” Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have been enrolled in a U.K. school and King Charles was made aware of their plans just three days before the news broke.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked royal fans when it was confirmed on Wednesday, August 19 that the couple will be moving back to Britain ahead of the new school year. The couple’s children, 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet, have already been enrolled at a British school, and the family will be setting up a non-royal residence in an undisclosed location. For the Duchess of Sussex, leaving her home state of California likely comes with extremely mixed emotions, as former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told Sky News.

“'I think we should beware a pile-on on Meghan in particular, and I can see that already happening,” Bond told the network. “This is the decision they've made probably for the sake of their children, as much as for Harry.”

Meghan was born and raised in California, and she noted that starting over in England was a hard transition when she fell in love with Prince Harry. The couple made the move to Montecito, California in 2020 after they stepped down as senior working royals, and Bond noted that “Perhaps Meghan is sort of taking one for the team here, because I'm not sure this is her life's desire to live back in the U.K.”

The Duchess of Sussex has been vocal about how she struggled with her mental health while she was a working royal, and Bond cautioned the public not to place blame on Meghan for the couple's decisions.

“We have to remember that this is a woman who said that she was driven to suicidal thoughts by the way she felt she was treated when she lived here as a member of the Royal Family,” Bond said. “And that's why I say, we must beware a pile-on.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue their business activities, such as Meghan's As Ever brand, and will carry out any charity work in a private capacity, rather than on behalf of The King. “The only word we're getting from the palace is that Harry and Meghan are not going to be working royals at all, and certainly not whilst they carry on with their commercial activity, or particularly Meghan's, which I completely see she needs to do, and why shouldn't she?” Bond said. “She's an independent, relatively successful woman.”

At the end of the day, Tom Garcia-Bridgeman, PR consultant at Rhizome Media Group told the Daily Mail, “Britain may not offer them as much vitamin D as California, but a U.K. return immediately puts them at the center of a story, rather than competing for attention among LA's crowded celebrity class.”