Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return to UK after royal rift

Prince Harry , his wife Meghan and their two children have landed in the United Kingdom, according to British media.

The couple – who quit their royal duties six years ago and moved to California – arrived at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday as private citizens. Their return to Britain follows the surprise news last week that they were relocating.

UK media report that the family plan to stay in the country for “an extended period,” living in a home in the Cotswolds region of central England. The two children – Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five – have been enrolled at a private school.

Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45 – who have retained their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – moved to the US following a bitter feud with other members of the royal family.

The spat worsened after Harry published his confessional memoir Spare and the couple gave an interview to US talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey, in which Meghan spoke of mental health issues she experienced after joining the royal family and accused them of racism .

The couple stepped down as working royals in 2020, and resided in the US to pursue lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify, which have seen mixed commercial success.

Harry appeared to mend relations with his cancer-battling father, King Charles III , in recent visits to the UK. By settling in the Cotswolds, he will be living close to the king’s Highgrove House estate.

The king was reportedly not informed of the couple’s plans to return to Britain, learning about the relocation timeline along with the general public.