Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, are giving fans an inside look into their first few moments back in the U.K. after relocating across the pond.
Meghan, 45, and Harry, 41, were spotted walking in the British countryside in social media footage shared by the duchess on Sunday, September 12. She captioned the image with a union jack and a red heart emoji, signifying her family’s return to Prince Harry’s homeland.
News broke on August 26 that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down in England, alongside their two children: Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
Elsewhere in Meghan’s Sunday upload, she watched as Lili rode her bike down a lengthy driveway as Archie cheered her on.
Us confirmed last month that Harry and Meghan planned to move back to the U.K. in time for their children to start school in the fall. (Multiple outlets also reported that the couple planned to keep their Montecito, California, residence, as well as a vacation home in Portugal.)
Harry and Meghan relocated to the former actress’ native California in 2020 after they stepped down from their duties as senior working royals.
“I’ve now moved my whole family to the U.S. … that wasn’t the plan, but sometimes you’ve got to make decisions that put your family first and your mental health first,” Harry said on the “Armchair Expert” podcast in 2021. “Living here now, I can actually lift my head and I feel different. My shoulders have dropped, so has [Meghan’s], and you can walk around feeling a little bit more free.”
Two years later, the duke gushed on The Late Show With Stephan Colbert that his family “created a fantastic life” in Montecito.
The Sussexes have not publicly addressed their move, though an insider recently told Us that Harry “wasn’t as happy” in the U.S. as he had been abroad.
“They aim to be somewhere outside of London, not in, like, the city proper,” the source told Us. “They are open to a new chapter.”
Former royal butler Grant Harrold, meanwhile, speculated that Harry’s father, King Charles III, also may have “played a part” in the move. (Harry has been estranged from Charles, 77, since his stateside move, though they began mending fences amid the king’s ongoing battle with an undisclosed form of cancer.)
“I think behind closed doors Harry and the king have been working hard to heal their relationship,” Harrold, 48, exclusively told Us in August. “Only so much can be done when they live so far apart, so I think this is Harry making his dad his priority, which is really nice to see. I think the king will be delighted to have his son and daughter-in-law closer to home. He’s well aware that their rift will never be healed when they’re only seeing each other once a twice a year, this is the next step that’s needed if they want to heal their relationship.”
Charles, who recently reunited with Harry’s family during a private visit at Highgrove House in July, reportedly found out about the move just days before news broke. He also has not publicly addressed the relocation decision.
