How Long Will Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Live in the UK?
It’s official: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the UK. The couple and their two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, touched down at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday, August 26.
Multiple outlets have reported that the Sussexes’ recent move to the UK isn’t permanent, and sources recently told RadarOnline that it could be short-lived. A source close to the pair revealed that they have “avoided setting a firm timetable” on their UK stay, stating, “The move is being approached as an open-ended experiment rather than a permanent homecoming.”
“Harry and Meghan want to properly immerse themselves in life in Britain and see how it works for them as a family before making any long-term decisions,” the insider explained. “They aren’t putting themselves under pressure to decide now whether this is where they will spend the next five or 10 years.”
The source pointed out that there are “so many variables involved,” including how Archie and Lilibet adjust to school in the UK, whether Meghan and Harry like living in the UK, how their relationship with the British royal family develops, and what (if any) career opportunities present themselves.
The insider further alleged that Harry and Meghan may end up packing their bags and fleeing the UK after just six months. “They could discover after six months that Britain simply isn’t working for them and decide it is time for another change,” they said. “Equally, they could be here a year or considerably longer. The important thing is that they now have the freedom to make those decisions for themselves.”
“There is no fixed exit date and, at this stage, even Harry and Meghan genuinely couldn’t tell you where they will ultimately end up,” the source noted.
If they do want to leave the UK, Harry and Meghan reportedly might look to live in Canada and Australia. The two have “strong connections with and genuinely enjoy” both places.
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“They are no longer tied to one country because of their roles within the institution, and that has completely changed the way they can think about where they live,” the source continued. “Canada would be an obvious possibility because they have already lived there and have very happy memories of that period. Australia is another country they know well and have always enjoyed visiting.”
The insider added, “The crucial difference now is that those choices belong entirely to Harry and Meghan. There isn’t a palace machine determining where they need to be based or what their lives have to look like. If they wake up one day and decide Canada, Australia or somewhere else offers their family a better lifestyle, they have the freedom to explore it. That sense of possibility is something they really value.”
If this surprise return to the UK doesn’t pan out as Harry and Meghan hoped, they will be entirely on their own—the royal family won’t come to their rescue.
Royal insider Rob Shuter appeared on the August 26 episode of The Nerve podcast and claimed that the Firm will let Harry and Meghan dominate the headlines and enjoy public attention because, eventually, they will bring about their own downfall.
“If you give them enough rope, they just can’t help themselves. They mess everything up,” Shuter said about the duo. “The palace won’t be there to clear up. That’s what I’ve been told from my sources inside the palace is that they’re not going to help them. But maybe worse than that, when things go wrong, they’re not going to fix it.”