Royal Family's Move to California and Controversy Surrounding Harry and Meghan's New Life
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Harry and Meghan gave up their royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago to earn their living through lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify. Although relations with the rest of the royal family have soured since then, Harry has recently expressed an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, King Charles III, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
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NPR NewsHarry and Meghan gave up their royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago to earn their living through lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify. Although relations with the rest of the royal family have soured since then, Harry has recently expressed an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, King Charles III, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
USA TodayPrince Harry and Duchess Meghan are returning to the United Kingdom after six years based in the United States and a long public rift with the royal family.
Washington ExaminerPrince Harry and his wife are moving back to Great Britain over six years after they left the country following a public break with the royal family.
Washington TimesPrince Harry and Meghan Markle are relocating to Britain with their two children in the biggest shift to their family life since they stepped back from royal duties six years ago, People magazine reported.
New York TimesHarry and Meghan Will Move Back to Britain After 6 Years in U.S. The prince and his wife, whose relations with King Charles and the rest of the royal family have long been strained, will remain non-working royals, according to a person familiar with the decision.
The Daily WireIn a royal surprise, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle plan to leave California and establish a home base in the United Kingdom, British media reported Wednesday.
NBC NewsPrince Harry and his family will leave the sunny shores of southern California and return to the United Kingdom, a source familiar with the couple’s plans said.
ReutersPrince Harry and Meghan to move back to Britain - Reuters Prince Harry and Meghan to move back to Britain Reuters
ABC NewsByMelanie Schmitz August 19, 2026, 6:00 PM Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are planning to move back to the U.K., according to a source familiar with the matter. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
New York PostKing Charles II was blindsided by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to move back to the UK, only learning of it four days ago, despite his estranged son already having settled on a home there.
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King Charles welcomes the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family in a private capacity, but maintains that they will remain private individuals and non working members of the Royal family, the source said.
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The Daily WireKing Charles is aware of the couple’s plans and “welcomes the opportunity,” according to PEOPLE. Across the pond, however, not everyone is exactly thrilled with the royal reunion.
USA TodayDespite their homecoming there will be no alteration to their roles as private individuals and non-working members of the royal family, USA TODAY understands. For the king, there is no "half in/ half out" option, something Charles' mother Queen Elizabeth II reportedly felt strongly about.
Washington Examiner“The king … welcomes the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family in a private and personal capacity,” the BBC said.
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Harry did not hold back when writing his 2023 autobiography "Spare," accusing William of physically attacking him during an argument over Meghan in 2019. He also documented his partying and subsequent drug use and how he struggled to accept his mother's tragic death.
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2022: Queen Elizabeth II dies Before Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, Britain spent the summer celebrating her 70-year reign. Meghan and Harry returned to the U.K. with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, to join the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. It would be the family's last trip to Harry's home country together for four years.
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Associated PressJune 4, 2021 Meghan and Harry’s daughter Lilibet is born. Sept. 8, 2022 Queen Elizabeth II dies, aged 96, after 70 years on the throne. Her eldest son becomes King Charles III.
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Those tensions were exacerbated by Harry’s long-running legal battle with Britain’s tabloid newspapers, which he alleges illegally hacked his phones and invaded his privacy when he was younger. The prince has lost a series of lawsuits against the media, including one against the publisher of the Daily Mail, which concluded last month.
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NPR NewsThose tensions were exacerbated by Harry's long-running legal battle with Britain's tabloid newspapers, which he alleges illegally hacked his phones and invaded his privacy when he was younger. The prince has lost a series of lawsuits against the media, including one against the publisher of the Daily Mail, which concluded last month.
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Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 USA Today Their return is set against a backdrop of royal drama and a longstanding rift within the family that is far from repaired.
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03 New York Post The UK monarch had met with his long-exiled son and daughter-in-law last month — but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not mention their plans to the royal family, the Sun reported.
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04 Washington Examiner Tensions appeared to further ease over the summer, when the Sussex family traveled to the U.K. to promote the 2027 Invictus Games and were hosted by the king at his private residence in Gloucestershire.
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05 Washington Times Prince Harry’s desire for his children to spend time in British schools is not new. He raised the subject last September with singer Joss Stone, who had recently moved her own family back to the U.K. from Nashville, Tennessee. “Maybe Harry will move back too. That would be nice,” Stone told Hello! magazine at the time, recalling that Prince Harry had asked her about how her family was settling in. Team Sussex later denied a separate report that Prince Archie had been enrolled at Eton College, Prince Harry’s alma mater.
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06 NPR News Buckingham Palace has a policy of not commenting on speculation about non-working members of the royal family. A representative for Harry and Meghan declined to comment.
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07 Associated Press Buckingham Palace has a policy of not commenting on speculation about non-working members of the royal family. A representative for Harry and Meghan declined to comment.
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08 The Daily Wire “I actually think a lot of people are going to be incredibly annoyed that they have been really disparaging about Britain,” GB News commentator Patrick Christys said. “They’ve caused huge potential racism allegations against both the serving monarch and also Catherine. They absolutely seem to have no shred of empathy whatsoever for Catherine’s cancer diagnosis. They’ve been absolutely vile, I think, about this country and about the royal family.”
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