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King Charles was informed of his son's impending return to Britain on Sunday
Prince Harry and Meghan are set to return to Britain later this month, relocating to a privately owned home outside of London.
Their two children, Prince Archie, aged seven, and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, have been enrolled at a British school where they will begin classes in September.
The family's move from the United States comes more than six years after they stepped back from royal duties and relocated abroad to pursue financial independence.
Britain is expected to be the Sussexes' primary residence for a significant period, though no final decision has been taken on whether the relocation will become permanent.
Neither the precise location of the property nor the school the children will attend has been disclosed, with the family citing privacy concerns.
Alarmingly, the King only learned of the couple's plans on Sunday and despite being naturally delighted at the prospect of spending more time with his family regularly, in both a private and personal capacity, the decision will have come as a shock.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were also informed of the Sussexes’ return ahead of the news breaking on Wednesday evening.
However, it is peculiar that Prince Harry and Meghan did not inform King Charles of their upcoming move back to the UK when they met with the King last month.
To leave behind their life in the US would have been no quick decision for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and it will have been in the pipeline for weeks if not months.
The fact they have sorted accommodation in the UK and enrolled their children in British schools is further evidence of a serious degree of planning behind the move.
It does raise questions as to why they did not tell King Charles sooner.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s meeting with the monarch in July is thought to have gone well and no details were leaked by either side surrounding what was discussed.
This is despite Meghan Markle being accused of discussing the meeting at a party attended by Martha Stewart in the days after their return to the US.
King Charles is thought to have made clear that the Duke and Duchess will continue to be regarded as non-working royals and private individuals, consistent with their own previously stated wishes.
There are currently no arrangements for either of them to take up official royal duties again, though the relocation does not rule out that possibility in the future.
Details of the couple's security provisions have not been made public, and no changes to existing arrangements have been announced.
The Duke has long maintained that he would not feel comfortable bringing his family to Britain without police protection, a battle he has waged for several years.
The British state has consistently declined to grant him such support.
A Home Office spokesman said: "The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security."
The Sussexes intend to hold on to their properties in Montecito, California, and at the Costa Terra resort in Melides, Portugal, which they purchased in 2023.
The Duchess will also keep running her lifestyle brand As Ever, which sources describe as thriving, from the family's new British base.
The couple's departure from royal life was formalised in a 2021 statement from Elizabeth II, issued after a year-long review, which confirmed they would not "continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service".
The late Queen had been adamant that a "half-in, half-out" model was incompatible with pursuing commercial ventures. The Sussexes responded at the time: "We can all live a life of service. Service is universal."
The Duke was also stripped of his honorary military titles, though he has maintained involvement with a small number of charitable causes. The couple now believe they have demonstrated that the blended approach can function.
While Prince Harry’s bond with his father has strengthened, his relationship with Prince William remains deeply fractured.
The brothers are believed not to have communicated for years, with both the Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly feeling profoundly betrayed by disclosures in the Duke's memoir, Spare, and in television interviews.
Last month's visit to Highgrove, where Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet saw their grandfather for the first time in four years, was viewed as a pivotal moment in the reconciliation process.
The Duke has also expressed hope that the King will join him at Invictus 2027 in Birmingham next July.
But the lack of trust between Prince Harry’s camp and Buckingham Palace officials has been clear to see over the last month.
In July, the Duke of Sussex announced that he was staying at Buckingham Palace only for sources close to the King to dispute this and reveal Harry had originally turned down the offer of a room at the royal residence before trying to U-turn.
This was a clear illustration of the lack of communication between the two sides.
Yesterday, Buckingham Palace opted not to publicly comment on the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would return to the UK.
They had three days' notice to come up with a response. It is certainly enough time to formulate one if the institution wanted to make its stance known.
But it is also considerably less time than would be usual for a son to inform his father that he is returning home after six years away.
King Charles and Prince Harry will now have more space to forge a new bond, hopefully, with Archie and Lilibet at the centre, but without clearer communication, building meaningful bridges will be a tall order.
Buckingham Palace officials will fear this is just the start of playing catch-up with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the eve of their return to Britain.
