Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning to move back to the UK later this month, in a major change for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The couple are understood to be relocating from the US to a private, non-royal residence outside London.
The BBC reports that their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, have been enrolled to start at a British school in September.
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King Charles was informed of the planned move on Sunday.
There are currently no plans for either Harry or Meghan to return as working members of the Royal Family, and they will continue to live as private individuals.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have also reportedly been informed of the couple's plans.
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Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in early 2020 before moving to California, where they have lived ever since.
The move would mark a significant change for the family and comes just weeks after Harry and Meghan visited King Charles and Queen Camilla at the King's private home in Gloucestershire.
The July meeting was described by Buckingham Palace as a “private family occasion” and was the first time Charles had seen his grandchildren in person in more than four years.
The Sussexes had not visited the UK together since 2022, when they returned for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
The BBC understands that the King did not know about the planned move when the Sussexes visited him in July, but he is said to welcome the opportunity to spend more time with his son and grandchildren in a private capacity.
On May 19, 2018 Meghan Markle married Prince Harry at Windsor Castle. B. Lenoir Shutterstock
Security is expected to remain a major issue for Harry and Meghan following their return.
Harry has previously said concerns over his family's safety have prevented him from bringing Meghan and their children to the UK.
Last year, he lost a legal challenge against a decision to downgrade the level of publicly funded security provided to him after he stopped being a working royal and moved to the US.
Following news of the planned return, a Home Office spokesperson said security decisions were made by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as Ravec.
The spokesperson said the UK's protective security system was “rigorous and proportionate”.
The couple's return will also come as Harry prepares for the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham next year.
David Wiseman, chief programmes and strategy officer at the Invictus Games Foundation, said having Harry back in the UK was “excellent news”.
“I will be really pleased to have him back in the country. Moving is stressful for anyone so I hope it all goes well and the children settle well at school,” he told the BBC.
Former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II Ailsa Anderson said the news had come as a major surprise.
“It's an extraordinary surprise, it's a bolt out of the blue really,” she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
She said the move could raise questions about Harry's relationship with his brother Prince William, as well as the family's security arrangements and relationship with the British press.
Prince Williams. Maciej Rogowski Photo, Shutterstock
Harry and William have had a strained relationship in recent years and are understood to have seen each other only rarely since Harry and Meghan left the UK.
The Sussexes' decision to return also appears to mark a significant shift after more than six years living in California, with their children now set to begin their education in Britain.
