LONDON, Aug 28: The former British royals have quickly enrolled their children
in a school in Cotswolds area, close to King Charles III’s private country estate
in Gloucestershire, the Highgrove House, 150 km west of London, so that the
ailing monarch can interact with his grandchildren frequently.
Starting the first week of September, seven-year-old Prince Archie will enter
the preparatory school, while five-year-old Princess Lilibet will begin pre-prep.
No name of school has been made public.
Enrolling children in a school is widely accepted as the strongest confirmation
that parents' relocation is permanent.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially returned to the UK on Wednesday,
landing privately at Birmingham airport with their children. It marks a thawing
of tensions and steps toward a reconciliation with King Charles III.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are returning as private citizens and will not
resume any official working royal duties for the monarchy.
Over the summer, Harry, Meghan and their children had met privately with King
Charles and Queen Camilla at the Highgrove House, helping bridge a multi-year
gap in seeing his grandchildren, paving the way for their return to Britain.
Following King Charles's cancer diagnosis, reports indicate a mutual desire
to reset the father-son relationship and spend more time together.
While relations with the King have shown significant positive movement, wider
family strains—particularly with Prince William—reportedly persist.
Breaking the ice
The secret July 10 meeting at Highgrove House is widely regarded by royal commentators
as the ultimate catalyst for the family's return.
King Charles reportedly set a firm condition that the reunion focus entirely
on his grandchildren. By bringing Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the Sussexes
allowed the King to see his grandchildren for the first time in over four years.
To ensure an environment completely free of stress, the King arranged the meeting
with maximum privacy. Palace staff were dismissed ahead of their arrival, keeping
the one-hour visit entirely under wraps from the public and other senior royals.
Tensions were further eased through small, symbolic gestures. Notably, Queen
Camilla was present and offered Prince Harry a cup of tea, a simple hospitable
action that insiders viewed as a significant peace offering.
Both sides mutually agreed to leave sensitive topics off the table. They completely
avoided discussing the Duke's ongoing UK security legal battles or past grievances.
This allowed the focus to remain strictly on personal reconnection.
This private hour in Gloucestershire laid the emotional groundwork, paving
the way for the Sussexes' decision to formally announce their UK relocation
just a few weeks later.
While this private meeting set a positive tone for the King and Harry, the
reaction from the British public regarding their full relocation remains highly
polarized.
Prince William and Catherine’s reaction
Prince William and Princess Catherine were reportedly "blindsided" by the sudden
news of Harry and Meghan's permanent relocation back to the UK.
King Charles III reportedly kept his elder son entirely in the dark about the
secret July meeting at Highgrove House to prevent any potential friction. William
and Catherine only found out about the relocation timeline just days before
it was leaked to the media.
Sources close to the Prince and Princess of Wales indicate they are "concerned"
about the prolonged presence of the Sussexes in the UK. Catherine reportedly
fears the move could bring a fresh wave of public and media turmoil just as
she is recovering from her health battles.
While King Charles has publicly welcomed the opportunity to see more of his
grandchildren in a private capacity, Kensington Palace has maintained strict
silence. Insiders state that William and Catherine’s strategy is to prioritize
diplomacy while maintaining a firm personal distance, meaning a reconciliation
between the brothers remains highly unlikely.
Can we still address them as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex?
The former royals are now private citizens who no longer represent the monarchy,
but they are still officially the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. When they stepped
back as senior working royals in 2020, they agreed to stop using their "His/Her
Royal Highness" (HRH) titles in an official or commercial capacity. But Prince
Harry remains a Prince by birthright, as he is the biological son of King Charles
III.
The titles "Duke of Sussex" and "Duchess of Sussex" are also peerage titles
gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day. Under British law,
a reigning monarch cannot unilaterally strip peerage titles; doing so requires
an Act of Parliament. Because no such legislation has been passed, they retain
these names legally, and major global news outlets continue to refer to them
as such.
Timeline of the royal rift and return
Here are the key events leading from their initial departure to their recent
relocation back to Britain:
January 2020: The couple announced they were stepping back as senior
working royals, later settling in Montecito, California.
June 2022: The family briefly returned to the UK for Queen Elizabeth
II’s Platinum Jubilee.
September 2022: They returned again for Queen Elizabeth's funeral, marking
the last time Meghan was in the UK prior to their 2026 move.
May 2023: Prince Harry attended his father’s coronation alone.
June 2023: The couple officially handed back the keys to Frogmore Cottage,
leaving them without a UK base.
February 2024: Harry flew to London to visit King Charles III immediately
following the monarch's cancer diagnosis.
July 2026: A major turning point occurred when King Charles hosted Harry,
Meghan and their children at Highgrove House, meeting his grandchildren for
the first time in four years.
August 19, 2026: Public reports confirmed that the Sussexes officially
planned to relocate back to the UK.
August 26, 2026: The family officially landed in the UK.
Charles's cancer, secret July 10 meeting, Duke and Duchess of Sussex
The present & the future
The family is establishing themselves at a private, non-royal residence. Reports
indicate they are basing themselves outside London, specifically within the
Cotswolds area.
Their choice of location in the Cotswolds places them geographically close
to the King's country estate, Highgrove House.
They will not be living at a royal property and have kept their existing properties
in Montecito and Portugal.
Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (5) were enrolled in a private British
school soon after their arrival and are scheduled to begin the new term in September.