Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to have quietly lined up a new private base in Britain after reports emerged that the couple plan to return to the UK later this month.
Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, are understood to be preparing for an extended stay, with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, expected to be enrolled at a British school.
The Sussex family is believed to be moving into a residence with no royal ties, and there is no suggestion that the Duke and Duchess will resume duties as working members of the Royal Family.
The arrangement also means the couple are not thought to need accommodation connected to their patronages, with the entire family reportedly due back in the country within the next two weeks.
Although they are expected to keep their £11 million home in Montecito, California, as well as their property in Portugal, it remains unclear whether the move to Britain is intended to become permanent.
While a UK property has reportedly been secured, its precise location is being closely guarded because of security concerns surrounding the high-profile family.
Before relocating to the United States in the dramatic royal departure widely known as “Megxit,” Harry and Meghan had been living at Frogmore Cottage in 2020.
Despite spending less than a year at the Windsor home, the Sussexes invested £2.4 million in renovations and interior updates to the Grade II-listed property.
Prince Harry, and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrive for an event, during a visit to Bondi Beach, Australia, April 17, 2026
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex resided in Frogmore Cottage (pictured) for less than a year – but the home still underwent £2.4million worth of renovations
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured in 2019) gave viewers a glimpse inside their Frogmore Cottage kitchen in their Netflix documentary
The home was said to be filled with furniture from the luxury store Soho Home, while ceiling beams and floor joists were replaced.
Meanwhile, the property’s electrical system was rewired, new gas and water mains were installed, as well as £50,000 soundproofing to reduce noise pollution.
Soho House club designer Vicky Charles – a close friend of the Beckhams and the Clooneys – was also enlisted to help decorate the property with vegan paint.
The pair also joined the two pre-existing semi-detached houses into one big family home after the late Queen gave the property as a wedding present.
Currently, the Grade-II listed property’s future is said to be under consideration, as separating the building was being assessed for viability.
And while construction has not yet begun, insiders claim it would be a major and expensive renovation.
In January 2020, the couple stepped down as working royals and moved to Montecito, California, where they lived until now with their children.
Six months later, Harry paid back the £2.4million and was officially evicted by King Charles in 2023, weeks after publishing his controversial memoir Spare.
However, the royal residence is not the only UK home the couple shared before departing across the pond.
Following their 2018 wedding, the couple signed a two-year lease on a £4.12million Cotswolds property nestled near Chipping Norton.
The four-bedroom farmhouse, situated on the Great Tew Estate, boasted a converted barn as well as another two-bedroom cottage.
The four-bedroom farmhouse called Westfield Large came with four acres of land as well as a heated patio, House and Garden reported.
However, it was not always grand million-pound renovations and quaint cottages in the Cotswolds for the Sussexes.
During their engagement in November 2017, the Suits actress moved to be with Harry in Nottingham Cottage after the famed TV series came to an end.
At the time, a source told UsWeekly: ‘With Suits over, so is Meghan’s life in Toronto.
‘It’s the end of a really precious era, so she’s definitely sad to see it come to an end, but she’s also really excited about starting a new chapter with Harry.’
But the 17th-century residence within Kensington Palace was not as glamorous as one may think, Meghan previously shared.
The kitchen in the Duke’s two-bedroom flat had black-and-white tiles, a dining room, and a small living room, which was around 1,300 square feet in size.
In the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, the Duchess previously said: ‘Kensington Palace sounds very regal, of course it does.
‘It says “palace” in the name. But it was so small.’
Harry chimed in: ‘The whole thing’s on a slight lean, really low ceilings. I don’t know who was there before; they must have been very short.’
