King Charles' reaction to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's unexpected return to UK
King Charles' reaction to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's unexpected return to UK
Hannah Furnell Wed, August 19, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTC
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King Charles has reacted to his youngest son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle's, unexpected return to the U.K. -Credit:Getty
King Charles' reaction to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's unexpected return to the U.K. has been exposed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously stepped away from their senior royal duties in 2020, in what is known as Megxit, effectively dropping their "HRH" titles for financial independence. However, Harry and Meghan are now set to relocate with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, in late August to a private, non-royal residence believed to be located outside London.
According to reports, King Charles was informed of Harry and Meghan's return on Sunday, August 16. While the couple's move was not discussed during their recent secret reunion with the 77-year-old monarch at Highgrove last month, Charles is still reportedly pleased by the news.
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According to The Telegraph's report on the situation, Charles was said to be looking forward to "the opportunity to see more of his family on a regular basis, both in a private and personal capacity," the outlet reported.
However, the King has made one thing clear. The Duke and Duchess's status as non-working royals and private individuals will remain unchanged. Meanwhile, the report added that the Prince and Princess of Wales have also been informed of the move, and that Archie and Lilibet are enrolled to start at a British school in September.
King Charles is reportedly pleased that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the U.K. -Credit:UK Press via Getty Images
The Sussexes' security arrangements have not been revealed, but Harry has previously made it clear that he would not feel safe bringing his family back to the U.K. without police protection. Although he has continued to fight for it for several years, the British government has so far refused to provide him with police support.
While they navigate this new chapter and reconfigure their lives, Harry and Meghan will reportedly retain their homes in Montecito, California, and Portugal. Meghan will also continue to run her lifestyle brand As Ever.
Sources told the outlet that the U.K. would be the couple's primary home for the foreseeable future, as they work to decide whether to make the move permanent.
Their return comes more than six years after the couple left their royal duties behind and moved to the U.S. At the time, they cited intense tabloid pressure and restrictions imposed by the monarchy, specifically the prevention of their developing the "SussexRoyal" brand.
After the Sandringham Summit, it was agreed that Meghan and Harry could keep their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but were no longer allowed to use "Royal Highness." However, amid their move, they also sparked a feud with the Royal Family, that has seen only spurts of signs of reconciliation, mainly only with Charles.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly moving back to the U.K. at the end of the month -Credit:ANP/AFP via Getty Images
In September 2025, Harry had a brief, private meeting with his father in London that lasted under an hour, marking their first face-to-face interaction in over a year.
Then, on July 10, Harry, Meghan, and their children had a top-secret reunion with Charles and Queen Camilla, 79, after four years. The private meeting took place at Highgrove House, Charles' country residence, according to Buckingham Palace.
While Charles made efforts to keep the meeting as secret as possible, royal commentators have continued to speculate on its details. Whatever happened during the reunion, experts agree: the Royal Family still doesn't trust Meghan, and she could be in the way of Harry fully making amends with his family.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold - who worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011 and also served Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Harry - believes Meghan has a lot to prove before the Royal Family can trust her again.
Not only will she have to show that she can keep quiet about Royal affairs going forward, but she'll also have to overcome one of her biggest adversaries, William, who does not easily forgive those he's lost faith in.
Royal experts claim that Charles and the Royal Family still don't trust Prince Harry and Meghan Markle -Credit:POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Speaking on behalf of OLBG, Harrold told The Express US, "Trust is a big issue for the Royal Family when it comes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
"I know from my time with them that William is big on trust; when you break his trust, there isn't really any coming back. King Charles is more forgiving, and he is willing to offer olive branches, as we have seen in this case. But I don’t see that changing; I think going forward, the issues will be around overcoming William and regaining his trust."
Harrold noted that one of Meghan's biggest issues is keeping Royal matters to herself. He explained, "If Meghan does keep discussing private conversations and speaking about the royals, that will be an issue."
The royal expert added, "Meghan has every right to have private conversations with her close friends and family, but because of her position, these shouldn’t be repeated. However, it does depend on what she is saying. In her position, she shouldn't be giving too much away."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left the U.K. in 2020 -Credit:AP
Harrold said Meghan's actions "are all that will build the trust back now," adding, "She can say all she wants, but when you break trust, you can’t just get it back."
He concluded, "I think the only possibility will come if Meghan shows that she can be involved in those conversations without making it public and all about her. However, due to her nature, I don’t know if that's possible for her. She has a very different way of doing things, but it’s the only way."
Meanwhile, before news of their return broke, reports claimed that Harry and Meghan were "considering a public apology" to Charles in an effort to overhaul their relationship with the Royal Family.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
