Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are planning to move back to the United Kingdom more than six years after stepping away from their roles as senior working members of Britain’s royal family, ABC News confirmed this week.
While the move does not mean Harry and Meghan are returning to royal duties, ABC News royal contributors Robert Jobson and Victoria Murphy say the decision raises new questions about the couple’s relationship with the royal family, their security in the U.K. and what could be happening behind palace doors.
Harry and Meghan have lived in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, since stepping back from their senior royal roles in 2020.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Speaking on “Good Morning America” Thursday, Jobson called the news “a bit of a shock” and said questions remain over how much Harry’s father, King Charles III, knew about his son’s plans before he was made aware of the decision.
“There must have been planning going on in the background. There must be planning as to where they’re going to live,” Jobson said. “So I think, obviously, there’s been a lot of movement in the background going on without the knowledge of certain members of the royal family.”
A source familiar with the matter told ABC News on Wednesday that Charles was first made aware of the couple’s plans on Sunday and is said to welcome the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family. The source also said Harry and Meghan will remain private individuals and non-working royals.
Jobson, however, said he believes there could be “more going on behind the scenes,” even raising the possibility that Harry could eventually seek a larger role in the U.K.
“I think that maybe Harry is looking to come back full-time,” Jobson said. “Who knows?”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wave during their carriage procession on Castle Hill outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, on May 19, 2018 after their wedding ceremony.
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Buckingham Palace has not commented on Harry and Meghan’s planned move.
Murphy, speaking separately on ABC News Live on Thursday, said the decision represents a dramatic shift for the couple after years of building a life in the United States.
“On the face of it, it’s a complete U-turn on everything that the couple have said since they’ve stepped back six years ago,” Murphy said.
But Murphy added that while the news may have come as a surprise publicly, she believes the couple have been considering the possibility for some time.
“The pull for Harry in particular towards the U.K., I think, is very strong,” Murphy said. “He still feels that he has a role to play here, not as a working royal, but a role nevertheless.”
The couple’s children could also be a major factor in the decision, according to Murphy. Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, are only known to have visited the U.K. twice since 2020.
“I think for them, it’s also very much about their children and wanting their children to have those ties to the U.K. and to experience education here,” she said.
Security remains a major question
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum (Anvam) in Southbank on April 14, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Both Jobson and Murphy pointed to security as one of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding the family’s return.
Harry previously lost a legal challenge related to his security arrangements in the U.K., and Murphy noted that the Sussexes do not currently have automatic police protection while in Britain. While living in California, the Sussexes have relied on a privately-funded security team.
The Telegraph, which was the first to report the news of Harry and Meghan’s planned move, reported that the family plans to live in a non-royal residence near London, and their children are reportedly enrolled in British schools for the upcoming school year.
Murphy said the decision suggests Harry may now be comfortable enough with his security arrangements to bring his family back.
“Security has to be the key to all of this,” she added.
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