Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are planning to return to the United Kingdom with their children for an extended stay from this fall, but they will not resume their duties as working members of the royal family, The Associated Press learned Wednesday.
Their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have enrolled at British schools and are expected to begin classes in September, according to a person close to the Sussexes who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The family plans to live at a private residence outside London that is not linked to the royal family. They will keep their home in Montecito, California, as well as their holiday property in Portugal.
The Daily Telegraph first reported the development. Asked about the report at an event with US veterans in Washington on Wednesday night, Harry said, "Nothing to say."
Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago. They later signed commercial deals, including with Netflix and Spotify.
Their relationship with other members of the royal family has remained strained. However, Harry has recently spoken about wanting to rebuild ties with his father, King Charles III, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer.
Charles was informed about the couple's plans on Sunday. Harry and Meghan also visited the UK last month.
Buckingham Palace generally does not comment on speculation involving non-working members of the royal family. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan also declined to comment.
According to a source close to the couple, Meghan will continue to run her company, As Ever, from the UK, while Harry will be able to spend more time working with his UK-based charities.
Harry and Meghan's relationship with the royal family has been tense since they moved to a mansion in Montecito.
In interviews and Harry's memoir, "Spare," the couple said they left Britain to escape the pressures and restrictions of royal life. They also accused palace officials of failing to properly support Meghan over her mental health and said a member of the royal family had raised concerns about the skin color of their first child before his birth. Meghan has described herself as biracial.
Relations were further strained by Harry's legal battles with British tabloid newspapers. He has accused them of illegally accessing his phone and invading his privacy when he was younger.
Harry has lost several lawsuits against media organizations, including a case against the publisher of the Daily Mail that ended last month.
The latest case could leave Harry facing legal costs running into millions of pounds. The court ruled that he and other plaintiffs were responsible for the publisher's legal fees. Associated Newspapers said its legal costs amounted to 34.5 million pounds ($47 million).
Harry has also been involved in a legal dispute with the British government over security arrangements for his family during visits to the UK. He argues that he and his family need armed police protection because of the risks associated with being members of the royal family, even though they are no longer working royals.
After losing a court challenge over his security last year, Harry said he wanted to improve relations with his family.
"I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore," Harry told the BBC, adding that he did not know how much longer his father had.
Harry returned to the UK last month for several charity engagements. Meghan and the children joined him for part of the trip, and they met King Charles at his Highgrove estate in western England.
It was the first time Archie and Lilibet had seen their grandfather since Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
While Harry has recently spent time with his father, there has been little indication of improved relations with his elder brother, Prince William, heir to the throne.
Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent, said the family's return would come as a surprise to William.
"In the short term, Harry will be able to deepen his rapprochement with his father," Hunt told Britain's Press Association. "And his presence back home will make it harder for his brother to duck a reconciliation."