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The UK’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have decided to return to the United Kingdom for an extended stay starting this fall, but they won’t resume their roles as working members of the royal family, according to reports.
The couple’s children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already enrolled at schools in the UK and will start classes in September, according to a person close to the Sussexes who was not authorised to speak publicly.
The family plans to live at a private, non-royal residence outside of London, but plans to maintain their home in Montecito, California, and their vacation property in Portugal.
UK outlet The Daily Telegraph first reported the story. When asked to discuss the reports by the AP at a roundtable event with US veterans in Washington on Wednesday night, Harry replied, “Nothing to say.”
Harry and Meghan gave up their royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago to earn their living through lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify.
Although relations with the rest of the royal family have soured since then, Harry has recently expressed an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, King Charles III, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Charles was informed of the couple’s plans on Sunday. Harry and Meghan last visited the UK last month.
Buckingham Palace has a policy of not commenting on speculation about non-working members of the royal family. A representative for Harry and Meghan declined to comment.
According to a source close to the couple, Meghan will continue heading her As Ever company from the UK, while Harry can spend more time working with his UK-based charities.
Harry and Meghan have had a stormy relationship with the royal family ever since they decamped to a mansion in the exclusive Southern California enclave of Montecito.
In a series of interviews and Harry’s memoir “Spare,” the couple said they left the UK to escape the restrictions of royal life and criticised palace officials for being insensitive to Meghan’s mental health while alleging that at least one member of the royal family had expressed racist views when she was pregnant with their first child.
Those tensions were exacerbated by Harry’s long-running legal battle with tabloid newspapers in the UK, which he alleges illegally hacked his phones and invaded his privacy when he was younger.
The prince has lost a series of lawsuits against the media, including one against the publisher of the Daily Mail, which concluded last month.
The latest trial has left Harry facing a potential bill for millions of pounds after the court ruled he and other plaintiffs in the case were liable for the publisher’s legal fees. Associated Newspapers has filed documents showing that its legal costs amounted to £34.5 million pounds (€40.2 million).
Harry has also been embroiled in a legal wrangle with the British government after a government committee refused to authorise police protection for the prince and his family when they are in the UK.
The prince says he and his family need armed police protection because they are at risk simply because they are members of the royal family, regardless of whether they are working royals.
After losing a court battle over the security issue last year, Harry said he hoped to rebuild relations with his family. “I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” Harry said. “I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
Additional sources • AP