Prince Harry honored seriously ill children and their families at the annual WellChild Awards in London on September 21, and in a new interview, he revealed one tradition that his own two kids, Archie and Lilibet, are into now that they’ve moved to the U.K.

When asked by Emily Nash of Hello! magazine what the “most British thing” he had taken part in with his wife and kids since moving to England last month, Harry replied, “Gone for a walk. Lots of walks. Isn’t that the most British thing?”

After pondering the question for a moment, he added that he’d “already tried beans on toast” with his kids when they lived in California, but it “didn’t go down very well at all.” Instead, Archie and Lilibet have a surprising new favorite food, and it’s “Marmite on crumpets.”

“Please tell me that’s a British thing, because it’s always been in my life,” the Duke of Sussex said. “And now the kids are eating Marmite on crumpets, which is a big moment for me.”

Apparently, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet changed their tune about the yeast-based spread after making fun of their dad for eating it in California. “They used to diss me for having Marmite in the house,” Harry admitted, adding that “now they’re in the U.K.” the Marmite debate is “water under the bridge.”

During the WellChild Awards, Prince Harry also revealed some of Princess Lilibet's fashion favorites. While speaking with one award winner, Margot Jones-Billington, the Duke of Sussex commented on her glittery shoes and dress.

“You obviously love sparkles,” Prince Harry told Margot, per People. “I have a boy and a girl who are seven and five. My little girl loves sparkles and she loves pink. That’s her favorite color.”

The WellChild Awards are a highlight on Prince Harry’s September calendar each year, and the Duke of Sussex shared some tidbits about his own kids, Archie and Lilibet, at the event on September 22.

The annual awards honor seriously ill kids and their families, and Margot Jones-Billington, 6, was this year’s winner of the Inspirational Child 4-6 Award. Margot experienced a brain bleed and stroke when she was a toddler and faces a number of challenges today, but she was all smiles as she met Harry at the Lancaster Hotel in London.

While speaking with Margot and her mother, Prince Harry revealed that Princess Lilibet shares some of the same things in common with the award winner.

“You obviously love sparkles,” the Duke of Sussex told Margot, pointing to her glittery sneakers (via People). “I have a boy and a girl who are seven and five. My little girl loves sparkles and she loves pink. That’s her favorite color.”

Margot also chose a royally-approved dress for the occasion, with her frilly, embroidered floral design appearing similar to the Needle & Thread styles beloved by Princess Kate.

During the WellChild Awards, Prince Harry gave an emotional speech paying tribute to the children in the audience, as well as their caretakers. “To all the mums and dads—most of us will never truly know the emotional ups and downs of your day,” he said. “But I sincerely hope that you take strength from nights like this.”

Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, did not join him for the event, although she attended when she was still a senior working royal. The WellChild Awards follow a busy week for Prince Harry, who attended the first Invictus Spirit Awards on September 17 and also launched the INSPIRE education program ahead of the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027.

Charles Spencer has revealed behind-the-scenes details from one of the most difficult days of his life. In his new book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, the 9th Earl Spencer shares some of his most intimate memories of Princess Diana, and he also shared the one member of the Royal Family who “did really well” handling the late royal’s 1997 funeral.

Speaking to People magazine about his controversial new book, Spencer said that Prince Philip instructed Prince William, Prince Harry and the now-King about what they “must not” do during Diana’s funeral procession.

“Prince Philip took charge, quite rightly,” Spencer told the media outlet. “He was brilliant that day. I mean, he’s a controversial figure, but he did really well that day.”

“He was a military man and he said, ‘Just look straight ahead. You must not look left and right,’” Spencer continued. Diana’s brother joined The King (then Prince Charles) and his young nephews William and Harry to walk behind her coffin, and Prince Philip offered to take part in the procession alongside the boys, who were just 12 and 15.

Spencer noted that they listened to the late Duke of Edinburgh’s advice, “but that made for a very bizarre experience, actually, because you could feel this tsunami of grief coming in from both sides and the crowd reacting differently as we walked along.”

He explained it was “very hard to feel that amount of emotion and not to look at it,” adding “you’d walk through maybe 100 steps and you’d just hear sobbing. And then another stretch where people would be shouting out really lovely but sad things to William and Harry, or about Diana.”

Earl Spencer revealed that he pushed for his nephews to be left out of the funeral procession, but received pushback from Prince Charles at the time. In Swan Song, the earl wrote that words were exchanged during a heated phone call, and the now-King told him, "we'll forget her soon enough."

The comments caused Buckingham Palace to issue a rare rebuttal, with The King's statement reading, "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”

In the end, the boys were made to walk behind their mother's coffin. In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry noted that his uncle "raised hell" over the matter, but Earl Spencer told People how he regretted not being able to do more for his nephews.

"I just remember Harry was so small, this tiny dot of a boy walking in public behind his mother’s coffin," he recalled in his interview with People. "It’s monstrous. It was awful at the time, and there was so little I could do."

Charles Spencer might be more closely associated with Prince Harry these days—especially since the Duke of Sussex and his family visited Earl Spencer over the summer. But in a new interview with the BBC, Princess Diana’s brother shared some surprising thoughts on his nephews’ estrangement.

“I think there is a perception in the media that I am on Harry’s side,” he said. “Well, 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.”

The 9th Earl Spencer, whose book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, will be released on September 22, added that while he avoids taking sides in the feud, he knows it’s not what Princess Diana would have wanted.

“I never get involved in one camp or the other, except as a benign figure, I hope,” Spencer said, admitting that he doesn’t “know all” about the nitty gritty details of their ongoing feud, but there are a “lot of reasons on both sides.”

However, he shared, “I certainly don’t know what’s been done in the finer detail and so I would feel intrusive if I got more involved than to say of course a mother would want her two sons to be happy together and love each other.”

Prince William and Prince Harry have not spoken in several years, with royal sources pointing to the publication of Harry's memoir, Spare, and his controversial Oprah Winfrey interview as two particular sources of betrayal for the Prince of Wales.

Regarding the explosive comments made about King Charles in his book, Earl Spencer said the remarks about The King acting "giddy" after Diana died won't be shocking to his nephews.

"I don't like to talk about what I've been speaking about to William and Harry, but this will not be a surprise to them," he shared. "I will tell you that these words will not be a surprise to them."

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."

Shop Royal Family Books

Earl Spencer's new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, has already created waves due to some of the allegations it contains about the Royal Family. As Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer had a front row view to his sister's relationship with the royals. And according to a new excerpt from Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, published by the Daily Mail, King Charles found himself being "overruled" by Prince Philip at Diana's funeral.

Princess Diana's funeral took place at Westminster Abbey in London on September 6, 1997. Recalling the emotionally devastating day, Spencer writes in the new book, "Prince Philip was there, his usual gruffness replaced by a calm and quiet kindness. He was clearly determined to help his motherless grandsons in their walk to the funeral, and he did so with grace."

According to Spencer, "Prince Charles tried to take charge, having seemingly thought hard about the formation that the five of us chief mourners would adopt behind Diana." Earl Spencer famously walked behind Diana's casket with her sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, her ex-husband King Charles, and ex-father-in-law, Prince Philip.

Remembering the proceedings, Spencer said of King Charles, "When he said, 'Now, I will walk in the center, with William on my right and Harry on my left,' Prince Philip overruled him, in an even voice that closed down any possible dissent."

Spencer continued, "No, that isn't how we will do it,' [Philip] said. Then, nodding towards me, he continued: 'Charles is representing his sister and their family, so he will walk in the middle, with William and Harry either side of him, and you and I will be on the outside flanks.'"

According to Earl Spencer, "Prince Charles looked pained but capitulated to his father's authority without a word."

King Charles has already denounced some of the allegations made in Earl Spencer's new book. After the publication of one Daily Mail excerpt, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson issued an extremely rare response, saying, "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss."

Shop Books About Princess Diana

Royal group chats have been making headlines in the past week after it was revealed that the Duchess of Sussex’s phone number was leaked. Meghan, who had joined a WhatsApp group of fellow parents from Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s new school in England, replied to a welcome message, which was then shared outside the school. But the duchess isn’t the only royal who has taken part in group chats, as former royal gardener Jack Stooks reveals.

Speaking to OLBG, Stooks, who served as a senior gardener to King Charles at Highgrove House, shares that members of the Royal Family “are big WhatsApp users.”

“They have groups with their friends, and there is also a family group with the royal cousins, including Prince William, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips and the York sisters,” he shares. “They’re very much like any other family when it comes to keeping in touch through their phones.”

Stooks recalls William and Harry “always had the latest phones” and they would give out their numbers to members of staff. “They also had our numbers, and they would just WhatsApp us if they needed anything,” he says.

However, palace staff weren’t allowed to program the royals’ numbers into their phone as, say, “Prince Harry,” and members of the family had special code names.

“We couldn’t have them saved under their real names, so they had nicknames instead,” Stooks shares. “William was ‘Bobcat,’ Harry was ‘Baz,' and when Kate joined the family, she became ‘Mrs Bobcat.’”

Stooks shares that Prince William, in particular, was always “really polite” to the staff and “was never one to demand something.”

“He would always check how busy I was before asking me to do errands for him,” Stooks recalls. “And whenever I said I would do something for William, he would always reply: ‘You’re a legend.’”

However, when it comes to WhatsApp groups, don’t expect King Charles to get involved. “The King didn’t really use technology at all when I worked there,” Stooks shares. “He used to have a very old-fashioned, basic mobile phone, but he never used it.”

The former Highgrove staffer says that Prince William and Prince Harry used to try to convince their dad to “keep up to date” with the times. “They were always encouraging him to use his phone, but he wasn’t interested. He wasn’t a fan at all,” Stooks shares.

Content warning: This story contains references to death by suicide. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Earl Spencer’s new book about Princess Diana isn’t set to be released until September 22, but it’s already causing a stir in royal circles. King Charles issued a rare rebuttal after an unflattering excerpt from the book was published, and now the Daily Mail has published a serialization of Swan Song: Diana My Sister that contains more shocking claims.

Along with alleging that The King (then Prince Charles) “sounded giddily elated” when Diana died and that Charles was “in love with his valet,” Earl Spencer wrote that his sister experienced suicidal ideation in the 1990s.

“It is a sad fact that, in her later years, Diana drove herself more than once to Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in England, while contemplating ending it all,” Earl Spencer wrote, adding, “Her love for her sons stopped her from going further.”

Although Diana never discussed driving to the cliff, she did admit to self-harm in the heartbreaking recordings she made for royal biographer Andrew Morton. While discussing a long stay at Balmoral, she noted, "I got terribly, terribly thin. People started commenting: 'Your bones are showing.' By October, I was in a very bad way."

The princess continued: "I was so depressed, and I was trying to cut my wrists with razor blades. It rained and rained and rained. I came down early [to London] to seek treatment, not because I hated Balmoral, but because I was in such a bad way."

In his book, Spencer notes that his sister felt “isolated and trapped” in her marriage and “believed that her husband was sometimes too busy for her, and on other occasions that he was critical.” According to the earl, Princess Diana felt that Prince Charles, who was nearly 13 years older than her, “seemed always to wish she was nearer to 35, in character and outlook.”

King Charles is said to be "incandescent" over some of the allegations in the book, including the idea that he told Earl Spencer "we'll forget her soon enough" while arguing with him about Diana's funeral.

In reply to the claims, Buckingham Palace released a statement reading, "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”

Although the 9th Earl Spencer is critical of his ex-brother-in-law in the book, the Swan Song author—who is thrice divorced himself—also admits that the marriage was extremely difficult for both parties.

Writing that Charles and Diana were forced to live up to an impossible standard, Spencer adds, “the world was demanding a narrative of make-believe perfection when the reality could only be different.”

“I feel huge sympathy for them both,” he added. “It must have been intolerable.”

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 September 15, but when it comes to a family party, don’t expect Prince William to be there. The brothers remain estranged, and as multiple experts recently told People magazine, that is unlikely to change anytime in the near future.

“It is keep calm and carry on,” royal author Simon Vigar shared when discussing William and Kate’s view on the Sussexes. “They see it as a sideshow and ancient history.”

Although the Duke of Sussex has publicly stated that he’d love to reconcile with his family, a palace source told the magazine that the Prince and Princess of Wales aren’t budging right now. “It was very hard on them, and I wouldn’t blame William for being cautious,” the insider said of their estrangement.

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

However, he noted that as the future King, the Prince of Wales will have an expectation to interact with his brother in some capacity, especially now that they’re living in England again.

“William and Catherine can maintain that their focus has to be about them and their family, but there will be pressure on them about how they interact with Harry and Meghan and their family in the future,” Myers added.

Family events like Christmas at Sandringham could prove to be a sticky situation if King Charles invites the Sussex family to attend, making it difficult for William to fully avoid his brother. As royal historian Amanda Foreman noted, “At the moment, it has gone from being a hot war to a very, very cold war. But in a cold war situation, you still have to turn up to the Olympics.”

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."

Shop Similar

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have pulled Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet out of their new school in England after just two days, according to a new report from Hello! magazine. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the choice to switch schools due to “heavy traffic” and security concerns getting there, per a representative for the Sussexes and a friend of the couple.

The Sussex family moved from Montecito, California to an undisclosed home in England on August 26, and plan to stay in the U.K. for an extended period of time as their children attend a local school. While the family didn't announce where Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, would be educated, the children have already moved to a new school.

“It’s a real shame, because they absolutely adored the school, the kids and their parents,” a friend of Prince Harry and Meghan's told the media outlet, describing the educational facility as “perfect for them in every way.”

“They really wanted to make it work, but they had to make a difficult decision based on the fact that the team couldn’t make the school run operationally secure," the source added.

Royal editor Emily Nash of Hello! wrote that the long distance between the Sussex family's home and the school, along with "heavy traffic," contributed to their "small, private security team" being challenged on the school run. "One incident made it difficult for their vehicles to stay in convoy, which raised further concerns," she added.

A representative for the duke and duchess noted that the unnamed school isn't to blame, adding that Archie and Lilibet received "exceptional care" during their short time there.

“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 rep noted.

According to Hello!, Archie and Lilibet attended a "taster session" at a new school on Monday, September 14. "Prince Harry was spotted settling Lili into reception and the couple have been added to the parents' whatsapp groups," Nash reported.

Meanwhile, Meghan shared a glimpse at their new life in England on Sunday, posting an Instagram Reel featuring scenes of them fishing, riding bikes and taking walks in the woods as the duchess splashed in muddy puddles.

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.

Although Prince William and Prince Harry's estrangement doesn't show any signs of improving at the moment, the brothers do have one last organization that they represent together, The Diana Award. The only charity to be set up in Princess Diana's memory has been close to the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales over the years, with both serving as patrons. But as the Daily Mail's "Palace Confidential" podcast revealed, a major fundraising event for The Diana Award has now been canceled.

The organization empowers young people who are making a difference in their communities, and as the Mail on Sunday's editor-at-large, Charlotte Griffiths, said on the podcast, "They take it in turns, the two brothers, to host events."

Prince William took part in a panel with The Diana Award in June, and Prince Harry was expected to attend a "high-profile dinner" on September 18 for the charity, per Griffiths. But with just over two weeks to go until the black-tie event, it was inexplicably canceled.

Griffiths shared that the charity tries to "walk a very fine line between Harry and William as you can imagine" while "not wanting to upset William," and said from her point of view, there appeared to be some "wrangling behind the scenes."

"Harry, naturally, I gather wanted his wife there," she said. Both William and Harry have attended Diana Award-related events solo over the years, and regarding the Duchess of Sussex attending, Griffiths said, "This was always not really going to happen."

William and Harry last publicly interacted during Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022, and the brothers are understood to not have spoken in several years. As Griffiths pointed out, "Maybe The Diana Award is kind of one of their last forms of communication," since participation and schedules need to be ironed out between their two teams.

"So maybe this is the last vehicle they have," she added. "Is it okay if Harry brings his wife? Possibly not if you're Prince William." However, the reason behind the event's cancelation has yet to be revealed.

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.

Shop Royal Family Books

As Britain's monarch, King Charles has a plethora of responsibilities. And as father to two sons, The King needs to manage a multitude of different relationships within the family. According to a body language expert, Charles seemingly displays a "unique form of watchful attention" when it comes to one Royal Family member.

Body language expert Judi James analyzed archive footage of King Charles at a polo match with Prince Harry and Prince William, which took place in Anglesey, Wales, in June 2003.

"Charles's physical awkwardness might be legendary but in clips like this one he appears to be giving Harry a unique form of watchful attention that is littered with subtle but powerful displays of fondness," James told the Daily Mail.

The expert continued, "We have Charles creating a preferential form of proximity with his youngest son, both when he sits with one boy on either side and then very emphatically when another player joins them and Charles sits next to Harry, mirroring him and chatting quietly."

According to James, "It is clearly Harry who gets Charles's prime and then exclusive attention in this video while William appears to have to work to dominate the spotlight or break into and take over the conversation."

The body language expert also suggested that Charles could be seen engaging very differently with his two sons.

"Charles gives two different types of attention to his sons here: with Harry he appears gentle, caring, and watchful but William is treated more like a fellow adult and equal," James noted.

Of course, many parents interact with their individual children in different ways, making King Charles's behavior seem perfectly normal.

Prince Harry recently moved back to the U.K. from California with his wife Meghan Markle, and their two children—Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Discussing the Duke of Sussex's decision to relocate, a former royal butler has shared details about the prince's past.

During an appearance on "The Royals Uncensored" show (via the Express), Grant Harrold—who previously worked for the Royal Family as a butler—said of Harry, "Of course it was a long time ago I was there, but I always remember the whole security thing."

Harrold continued, "He had a close protection officer, there were a couple of back-ups that would follow them around, but I remember he used to try and avoid them."

According to the former butler, "He used to try and escape them. He didn't want them around."

As for how Prince Harry managed to evade his security officers when he was younger, Harrold shared, "He used to disappear round the back of the house and you'd have a police protection officer say 'Where has he gone?'"

Basically, it appears as though Prince Harry had quite the talent for escaping from authority figures when he needed to.

In many ways, it's understandable that a young Prince Harry might have tried to escape from his protection officers from time to time. Still, it's amusing to imagine the Duke of Sussex managing to successfully hide from royal employees who were searching for him.

Shop Royal Family Books

Prince Harry recently shocked royal fans by announcing his decision to move back to the U.K. with wife Meghan Markle and their children—Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Now, a new poll has revealed that royal fans are secretly hoping that the Duke of Sussex reunites with one royal relative in particular.

Earlier this week, the Express "asked royal readers which royal they most wanted to see Harry reunite with." According to the outlet, royal fans selected a rather unusual Royal Family member.

Per the publication, "Out of over 1,000 votes, 256 were in favour of Harry reuniting with Peter [Phillips, Princess Anne's son who recently married Harriet Sperling]." Surprisingly, Phillips reportedly "had the most votes" out of any royal relative in this poll.

In second place was Prince Harry's father, King Charles, which makes a lot of sense. Royal fans have generally been quite excited to follow the recent meetings between Harry and Charles.

The Express also noted that Prince Harry didn't attend his cousin Phillips's wedding to NHS nurse Harriet Sperling. In fact, it's even thought that Harry didn't receive an invite to the royal wedding, which took place in June 2026. In spite of this, it appears as though there's plenty of public support for a potential reunion between Harry and Phillips.

It's likely that some royal onlookers have been hoping for a reunion between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William, or the Prince of Wales's wife Princess Kate. But according to the Express's poll, Phillips is currently the frontrunner.

Shop Royal Family Books

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."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to Britain, but that doesn't mean they'll be stopping by Forest Lodge for tea with Prince William and Princess Kate anytime soon. The Prince of Wales and his younger brother haven't spoken in several years, and a source close to William and Kate has told People magazine that a reconciliation will take some time.

“They are watching this space. It’s private—they don’t feel the need to say anything or demonstrate anything outwardly,” the insider said. Adding that the Waleses are avoiding a "knee-jerk reaction" to Harry and Meghan's move, the source added that any thawing between the brothers “will be a slow build. There is a deep sense of betrayal.”

Since the Sussexes stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, numerous sources have noted that Prince William was hurt by Prince Harry's actions, including his 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and revelations made in the duke's memoir, Spare.

"Things are hanging by a thread as it is after the past few months, and from the sounds of it Harry's memoir is unlikely to help," a source told the Daily Mail ahead of Spare's publication in 2023.

The brothers are understood not to have spoken since Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022, with the brothers avoiding contacting during King Charles's coronation the following spring.

In 2025, the Duke of Sussex told the BBC that he was willing to put the past behind. “I would love reconciliation with my family," he said. "There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.” Whether Prince William feels the same remains to be seen.

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.

Shop Royal Family Books

Prince Harry has officially moved to the U.K. with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Following years in Montecito, California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will reportedly make England their home for the foreseeable future. And according to royal experts, there are two people who could potentially help reunite estranged brothers, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams suggested that Thomas and Charlie van Straubenzee would be "obvious mediators" when it comes to Harry and William. While William has been close to Thomas van Straubenzee for decades, Prince Harry remains friends with Thomas's younger brother, Charlie van Straubenzee.

"The van Straubenzee brothers could pull off the most extraordinary feat if they joined forces to bring William and Harry together," Fitzwilliams told the outlet.

According to Fitzwilliams, "What makes the brothers ideal is that, apart from being close to both of them, Thomas is especially close to William and Charlie to Harry."

However, the royal expert also noted to the publication that organizing a reunion between Prince Harry and Prince William "most certainly won't be easy."

According to People, Meghan and Harry left their home in Montecito, California on Tuesday, August 25, and flew "by private jet to England with their children...and their dogs, Pula and Mia."

As a 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."

Meanwhile, a source told the Daily Mail, "They have an English countryside dream...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."

Shop Royal Family Souvenirs

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."

Shop Royal Family Books

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.

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.

It was only a week ago that the world found out about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s surprising plans to relocate to the U.K., and on Wednesday, August 26, they landed in Birmingham, England to begin their new journey. While they’re living in England, it’s going to be more difficult to avoid seeing Prince William and Princess Kate, and according to a palace source, King Charles is hoping his sons’ estrangement will finally end.

Although their move was originally reported as a temporary one, a friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the Daily Mail that Harry is hoping to educate both of his children in Britain over “the next 12 to 15 years, minimum.”

Between major royal events and family holidays, it would be unlikely that Harry, Meghan, William and Kate wouldn’t find themselves in the same room every so often. A source close to Buckingham Palace told People that King Charles hopes a reconciliation with Prince William is in sight. “He will want to see his sons together over time,” the insider said. “This is the best opportunity we have seen in recent years.”

By all accounts, the Prince of Wales does not seem likely to pick up the phone to call Harry anytime soon. The two are understood to have not spoken in years, and were last seen publicly interacting at Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021.

A source close to the royals told People that the Prince and Princess of Wales felt “a deep sense of betrayal” when Harry revealed private details about the Royal Family during interviews and in his memoir, Spare. “It is going to be challenging for William. It will be very hard for him and Catherine,” the insider said.

Writing in Hello! magazine, royal author and journalist Robert Jobson notes that the fate of any reunion between the brothers lies in Prince William’s hands. “No king can order his heir to forgive,” he wrote. “But every reconciliation scenario being speculated rests, in the end, on William—and he has agreed to none of it yet.”

Speaking of King Charles, Jobson adds, “What he is unlikely to do is press his eldest son to simply fall in line and reconcile with a brother he currently has little relationship with.”

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.

Prince Harry hopes his children take something meaningful from their return to the U.K. The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle are returning to his home country., six years after stepping back from their royal duties. At the end of August, they will be relocating across the pond for an extended period with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Harry’s kids were just toddlers when they left England. Now, Archie and Lilibet are both at an age where they can attend schools in the U.K.

“It’s something Harry has been thinking about for a while,” a source said to People. “Harry never really stopped missing home. He’s missed that sense of connection and belonging. Britain is still home in many ways.”

The Duke of Sussex reportedly hopes his children will have more comprehension of his upbringing this time around. The source mentioned, “He wants them to understand the world he grew up in and where their family comes from.”

As for the Duchess of Sussex, she is in agreement, believing the children should equally experience their parents’ stomping grounds. The source shared, “Meghan feels very fortunate that they’re able to give Archie and Lilibet the opportunity to experience both worlds.”

They reportedly made plans to leave California weeks after their trip back to England, when the Sussexes reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla. The occasion marked The King’s first meeting with his grandchildren in four years. Before their reunion, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet last saw King Charles in June 2022 during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Two years before their last meeting, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as working royals and moved across the pond. Prince Archie was only 10 months old when he moved to America; Princess Lilibet was born in California, making her the first member of the British Royal Family to be born outside of Europe.

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.”

After last week’s bombshell announcement that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are temporarily relocating to Britain, royal watchers have been wondering how this will change relations between the couple and the Royal Family, especially Prince William. But there’s another family member the Duke of Sussex has had a complicated relationship with over the years.

Queen Camilla has been married to King Charles since 2005, and although Harry publicly spoke out in support of their marriage at the time, he revealed his real feelings both in his 2023 memoir, Spare, and during a 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper the same year.

In Spare, the Duke of Sussex wrote that Camilla “sacrificed” him “on her personal PR altar” in an attempt to improve her image with the British public, adding, “I even wanted Camilla to be happy. Maybe she'd be less dangerous if she was happy.”

When Cooper asked how Queen Camilla had been “dangerous” at the time, the Duke of Sussex explained it was “because of the connections that she was forging within the British press” as she tried to “rehabilitate her image.”

“And there was open willingness on both sides to trade information,” Prince Harry added, adding, “with a family built on hierarchy, and with her on the way to being queen consort, there was going to be people or bodies left in the street because of that.”

After Spare's release, The Queen was personally hurt, as one of her palace companions, Lady Lansdowne, told the Times.

“Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts,” Lady Lansdowne said. “But she doesn't let it get to her. Her philosophy is always, ‘Don't make a thing of it and it will settle down—least said, soonest mended.’”

It seems as if their relationship could be slowly on the way toward mending. Although The Queen wasn’t present when Prince Harry reunited with his father last fall, she took a major step by joining Harry, Meghan and their children at Highgrove House when the Sussexes visited the U.K. in July.

A source calls the meeting “polite with no recrimination,” per author Tom Bower in the Daily Mail, sharing that Queen Camilla allegedly offered Harry tea and that “the goodwill shown calmed the Sussexes' fear of returning.”

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.

Shop Royal Family Books and Souvenirs

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.

Shop Royal Family Books and Souvenirs

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.

Shop Royal Family Books

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.”

As Prince William and Princess Kate enjoy their summer break on the Balmoral estate with King Charles and other members of the Royal Family, no doubt the biggest conversation around the dinner table is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming move. The couple, who have lived in Montecito, California for the past six years, are making a surprise relocation to Britain this month—and for William especially, it creates a sticky situation.

The Princes of Wales has not been on speaking terms with his brother in years, and the two avoided each other at their uncle Lord Fellowes’s 2024 funeral, the last time they were seen in public together. William also did not head to Highgrove House this July when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla for the first time in four years.

But now that Harry and Meghan will be living nearby, it opens the door for them to attend Royal Family events like vacations at Balmoral and Christmas at Sandringham once again. It’s a situation that royal author and journalist Robert Jobson says must “be difficult” for the Prince of Wales.

“Are they really going to have William and Harry sitting round a table with all that’s gone on?” Jobson told Hello! magazine, adding, “I feel that William must be slightly aghast by the whole thing.”

The royal biographer pointed out that King Charles might be “hoping that it will be a chance for reconciliation,” but noted the move will likely prove to “be very difficult for The King.”

“On one level he will reconnect. On another level it will make things complicated for him,” Jobson continued. “It will muddy the waters.”

An ocean has separated the brothers for the past six years, but with the Sussexes set to establish a non-royal residence in the U.K. this month, former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt pointed out that Harry’s “presence back home will make it harder for his brother to duck a reconciliation.”

“The surprise return of Harry and Meghan is likely to have left William apoplectic,” Hunt added, per the Daily Mail.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have enrolled their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, at a British school, but any details about where they'll be living are being kept tightly under wraps—at least for now.

King Charles arrived for his annual stay at Balmoral on Tuesday, August 18, just a day before the news broke that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be moving back to Britain. As royal circles processed the surprise relocation, Prince William and Princess Kate quietly joined the Royal Family in Scotland on Thursday—and according to one editor, the Waleses are likely “not delighted.”

Princess Anne’s children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips are already at the castle with their families—including new royal wife Harriet Sperling—and Hello! magazine confirmed that the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the Balmoral estate on August 20.

Speaking on Hello!’s “A Right Royal Podcast,” the magazine’s royal editor, Emily Nash, noted there’s been “complete radio silence” coming from William and Kate’s side. “I imagine they're not delighted about this,” she added.

The Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales remain estranged, and with the couples not on speaking terms, the Sussex family's move to Britain will open a can of worms for both.

“It's going to be a very, very difficult hill to climb, having them suddenly back in the U.K., popping up, doing things publicly, if that's where they go with this,” Nash says of Harry and Meghan. “So much has been said and done that has damaged that relationship, almost beyond repair.”

A reconciliation seems unlikely to happen anytime soon, and Nash noted that when it comes to William and Kate, “I can't see a world in which they would be welcoming them back with open arms.”

King Charles was reportedly told about Harry and Meghan’s plans on Sunday, August 16, and Nash shared that the family has “had time to process this” ahead of their Balmoral break.

“We believe the Waleses were made aware beforehand,” she said. “They didn't find out at the same time as the rest of the world.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world by announcing their impending move back to the U.K. on Wednesday, August 19. The couple will be relocating to Britain for an extended period and have enrolled Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, in a British school, but where they’ll be living is being kept under wraps at the moment. As rumors swirl about where the couple will chose to set up their British home base, King Charles’s former butler, Grant Harrold, says that Princess Diana’s brother could have helped in the transition.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be establishing a non-royal residence at an undisclosed location in the U.K., as confirmed by multiple media outlets, and will not be returning to full-time royal duties. King Charles was made aware of their move on Sunday—three days prior to the announcement—making it unlikely he assisted by offering up one of his private properties to the family.

However, it's possible that Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, could have helped Harry and Meghan secure a home. Speaking to CasinoHawks, Harrold—who served The King at Highgrove House—suggests a “strong option is the Spencer family, who Harry has always been very close to.”

“Even when things were at their worst with the royals, Harry was always supported by his late mother’s brother Earl Spencer,” Harrold continues. “We know Meghan and Harry stayed at the Spencer family home earlier in the summer, so maybe conversations happened then.”

Meghan shared a carousel of photos from her family's summer abroad on July 23, including an image of Princess Lilibet walking behind Prince Harry and Prince Archie, who are carrying bouquets of flowers, on Earl Spencer's Althorp estate, where Princess Diana is buried.

When they were working royals, Harry and Meghan lived at Kensington Palace, then briefly moved into an estate in the Cotswolds before they relocated to Windsor's Frogmore Cottage. As for their next home, it's anyone's guess right now, but Harrold says the move provides the Sussex family the opportunity to be closer to loved ones.

“I think Harry wants to focus on family,” he says. “I think he wants to be near his father and his mother’s family, the Spencers.”

After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took their “freedom flight” out of London in 2020, it seemed like, by all accounts, they were leaving Britain permanently to raise their young children in California. But on August 19, it was announced that Harry and Meghan were moving back to the U.K. for an extended period and had enrolled Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in a local school. It’s a decision that has raised a number of questions, but as the Telegraph’s royal editor, Hannah Furness, wrote in the publication’s latest newsletter, the move hints that Harry “may have finally got what he wanted all along.”

In late 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent roughly six weeks living on Vancouver Island, Canada, before returning to London in January 2020. As Furness noted, Prince Harry wrote in his memoir, Spare, “Brief as it was, that taste of freedom had got us thinking. What if like could be like that...all the time? What if we could spend at least part of each year somewhere far away, still doing work for the Queen, but beyond the reach of the press?”

After Queen Elizabeth denied the plan, stating that Harry and Meghan had to be in or out, they left for California. But now that six years have passed, much has changed for the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth has died, and with King Charles living with cancer at age 77, perhaps the Duke of Sussex has realized that it’s time to be closer to his family while he still can.

Harry and Meghan's royal status is not changing, and they'll be establishing a non-royal residence at an undisclosed location in the U.K. while carrying out private charitable endeavors and commercial work. But as Furness pointed out, their working situation isn't quite straightforward, especially as Meghan continues to build her lifestyle brand, As Ever.

“Prince Harry and his family will, if they choose, be photographed with the King, placing them visually back at the heart of the Royal family in the public eye,” Furness wrote. “And they will continue their commercial activities, the strawberry jam in yesterday’s As Ever marketing email perhaps replaced with a seasonal British blackberry.”

They won't technically be half-in like their original plan, since the couple's charitable work will be carried out on their own and not on behalf of the monarch. But the optics could be confusing.

“The Sussexes will look, to those who don’t know or care about the nuances of working royal life, exactly half-in, half-out,” Furness added. “The King’s reign is their only chance to be so and establish that foothold.”

Now that Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, will be living closer to their grandfather, it would come as no surprise to see the Sussexes at Sandringham for Christmas or visiting Balmoral in the summer. But when it comes to Prince William and his younger brother, a thaw seems unlikely—at least right now.

As Furness wrote, “To use Meghan’s favourite word, they are not back in the Royal family fold... ‘yet.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the United Kingdom for “an extended period,” six years after stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family and relocating to California.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s return was confirmed by People magazine on August 19, with the outlet reporting that King Charles was informed of the couple’s plans just three days prior on Sunday, August 16. 

The duke and duchess's children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will attend a local school in Britain, but the location of their home and school will be kept under wraps. Harry and Meghan will remain non-working members of the Royal Family. 

The surprise decision comes shortly after the Sussexes reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House during their visit to the U.K. this summer. The meeting was seen as an important step in improving relations between Prince Harry and his father, and it was the first time Archie and Lilibet have seen their grandfather since 2022. 

However, the Sun reported that the Sussex family’s move was not discussed during the private meeting. 

Harry and Meghan moved to Montecito, California, in 2020 after stepping back from royal duties and have since built independent lives and careers in the United States. People reported that the couple will continue to maintain their Montecito home as well as their vacation house in Portugal. 

Security is likely to remain a key issue. Prince Harry no longer receives taxpayer-funded security, a long-running point of contention for the duke, and it remains unclear what arrangements will be in place for the family at their new U.K. home. 

Duchess Sophie is one of the hardest-working members of the Royal Family, and on Monday, August 10 it was announced that she’s been named the new patron of a charity that ties heavily into one of Prince Harry’s greatest passions.

Sophie will now be working with the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST), and she hit the indoor slopes at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, England to celebrate the news. The organization uses snow sports to accelerate the physical and emotional recovery of wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans.

Through adaptive sports like snowboarding, alpine and nordic skiing, the AFPST helps gives participants “a renewed sense of purpose and independence as they work towards individual and shared goals”—a very similar mission as Prince Harry’s Invictus Games.

The Duchess of Edinburgh looked in her element as she skied alongside AFPST participants and learned more about how the organization has given military personnel and veterans an increased sense of community and purpose.

Prince Harry has been carrying out the same work through the Invictus Games, which will take place in Birmingham, England in July 2027. Although the U.K. will host a summer games, the organization held its first Invictus Winter Games in 2025, and with Sophie’s new role, it opens the opportunity for her to attend a future winter event.

The duchess's husband, Prince Edward, also has a strong interest in para sports as the patron of the British Paralympic Association, a role he's held for more than 20 years. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have taken part in many of the Paralympic Games and traveled to the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, giving Sophie the opportunity to meet ParalympicsGB athletes ahead of her new role.

As for whether any members of the Royal Family attend Invictus 2027, watch this space.

As King Charles’ right-hand man prepares to leave the palace, Prince Harry could see a door left open on his way out. After 20 years working with The King and Queen Camilla, Sir Clive Alderton has announced he is stepping down from his role as principal private secretary. He will stay in post until his 60th birthday in May 2027.

To announce his retirement, Alderton wrote a letter to the royal staff, stating, "It has been the greatest imaginable honor to serve the King and Queen in my present role through such historic times and with unforgettable humor along the way. That support will continue, in a less formal capacity, for all of my life."

According to his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry believed three royal staffers to be working against him, with many suspecting Alderton to be the staffer Harry referenced as “the Wasp.” In Spare, Prince Harry first commended the “charming” and “jazzy energy" of "The Wasp," before turning the tables to call him “arrogant.”

"He was great at pretending to be polite, even servile,” Harry wrote. “You'd assert a fact, something seemingly incontrovertible—I believe the sun rises in the mornings —and he'd stammer that perchance you might consider for a comment the possibility that you'd been misinformed: Well, heh-heh, I don't know about that, Your Royal Highness, you see, it all depends what you mean by mornings, sir.'"

Harry went on to describe "the Wasp" as “weedy” and “so self-effacing,” adding, “You might be tempted to push back, insist on your point, and that was when he’d put you on his list. A short time later, without warning, he’d give you such a stab with his outsized stinger that you’d cry in confusion. 'Where the f--- did that come from?'"

Not only could Alderton’s retirement potentially affect King Charles’ relationship with his estranged son, it may also impact the Duke of Sussex’s chances to regain police protection in his home country. The secretary sits on RAVEC, a committee that determines official protective security for public figures in the U.K. Alderton's replacement will also take his spot on the board, leaving Harry’s request in a new pair of hands.

Despite living in a literal palace, Queen Elizabeth was famously frugal. Former royal staff members have frequently commented on her humble tastes and dislike of anything that could be viewed as excess, especially when it came to wasting food. And although King Charles is known for being an environmentalist, the late Queen also had one eco-friendly pet peeve at Buckingham Palace.

In his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Gyles Brandreth shared that Queen Elizabeth was very much a product of the World War II generation when it came to being thrifty. Decades after rationing and energy usage restrictions had ended, she still didn’t like to use the heat at Buckingham Palace.

“Elizabeth II could not abide empty rooms being heated unnecessarily and preferred her rooms heated with electric fires where she could turn on just one or two bars of the fire as required,” Brandreth wrote.

The late Queen thought that younger people who hadn’t been through the war “were very profligate with their use of fuel,” former Prime Minister Edward Heath told the author. That being said, Queen Elizabeth took matters into her own hands when her family didn't cooperate.

During a conversation with Brandreth in the ‘80s, the late Queen told him that she spent “an awful lot of time going from room to room turning off the lights” when her children Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward were young.

“It really annoys me when people leave the lights on,” she told Brandreth. “It’s just so wasteful.”

It seems her habits trickled down to King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry. In the BBC documentary Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70, Harry and William admitted that they take after their father when it comes to turning off the lights.

“He's a stickler for turning lights off and that’s now something that I’m obsessed with,” Prince Harry said, with Prince William chiming in, “I know, I’ve got serious OCD with light switches now, which is terrible.” The Duke of Sussex said that his wife, Meghan Markle, was puzzled by his lights obsession, with Harry stating she'd say, “Well, why turn the lights off? You know, it’s dark.”

It seems she has Queen Elizabeth to thank.

Now that Wimbledon is over and school is out, Prince William and his family will be enjoying time at their country home, Anmer Hall, and heading to Balmoral for their annual summer break. But when he was younger, the Prince of Wales had another summer tradition with Prince Harry and their cousins, as former royal butler Grant Harrold recently shared.

Speaking to Coffee Friend, Harrold—who worked for King Charles at his country retreat, Highgrove House—said that summer meant plenty of al fresco dining at the Gloucestershire estate. “The royals definitely do have barbecues over weekend periods,” Harrold said. “I remember Prince William and Harry having their cousins over and having barbecues, and they would go swimming.”

The laid-back parties were a rare time when Harrold and the rest of The King’s Highgrove employees didn’t serve the royals. “We wouldn’t get involved, and the staff didn’t have to cook,” he shared, adding that William, Harry and the rest of their guests “would do it all themselves.”

Harry and William's BBQs follow in the footsteps of Prince Phillip, who was famous for his prowess with a grill, especially at Balmoral. Picnics at the Scottish estate were another time when the staff wouldn't be on serving duty, although the royal kitchen did prepare their food, as Harrold previously shared.

As for King Charles, Harrold said that his former boss “always likes to have breakfast outside in the warm weather” when he’s at Highgrove. “There’s like a little sundial garden, and there's a table, so it's quite nice that they get to utilize the garden,” he said. “I also recall some evenings where they would also enjoy their dinners outside if it was nice weather.”

King Charles has a reputation as a workaholic, but during the summer months, Harrold said The King keeps his routine a little more laid back.

“The King also works outside, so quite often be on a chair outside Highgrove with his phone and his paperwork and he’ll work away in the sunshine,” he shared.

Princess Diana became known for many things throughout her life, such as her much-envied sense of style and her adoration of her children, Prince Harry and Prince William. According to one of the late princess's former staff members, Diana even prioritized her sons when it came to managing her closet and her bank account.

In his book, A Royal Duty, former royal butler Paul Burrell shared, "Some dresses were never destined for auctions or museums." Instead, some of Princess Diana's designer items were taken to thrift "stores in Knightsbridge or Chelsea [in London] where they would be handed over in exchange for cash when sold."

According to Burrell, it was entirely Diana's decision to sell some pieces of clothing, in order "to raise spending money for her because royals rarely carry hard currency." Basically, Princess Diana reportedly wanted to have a means of income, which wasn't necessarily tracked alongside her regular credit card spending.

"By generating cash, she could spend it as she wished without trace, and take William and Harry to the cinema or to McDonald's," Burrell wrote.

Burrell also elaborated on witnessing Harry and William learning about money as children.

"In the biggest paradox of their opulent royal life, the young princes were fascinated by money and how The Queen's face adorned every note of every denomination," the former royal butler shared.

He continued, "A £10 note was a 'brown Granny' and a £50 note was a 'pink Granny.' When the princess handed out money, it was a joy to watch the boys jumping up and down, clutching the notes, invariably a 'pink Granny.'"

Seemingly, Princess Diana was happy to sell her old clothing if it meant she could spoil William and Harry.

Shop Books About Princess Diana