Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Moving Back to the UK—But They’re Unlikely to Return to Royal Accommodations

Sources say the Sussexes will be living outside London after they cross the pond in the upcoming weeksPrince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to California in 2020.Photo: Jonathan Brady / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesPrince Harry and Meghan Markle have yet to comment publicly on the buzz about their move back to the UK six years after settling in picturesque Montecito, California. While the bombshell news has been the talk of the town, there are still more questions than answers about Prince Harry’s return home amid tensions within the extended royal family.As first reported by the Telegraph, the Sussexes are moving this month to a “private, non-royal residence thought to be outside London.” The couple’s children, seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, have already been enrolled to start school there next month. But that doesn’t mean the Sussexes are ready to fully give up on their American dream (despite a Wall Street Journal headline that suggests that this is a branding move to save the couple’s ailing business ventures). Rather, they plan to hold onto their Montecito estate for the time being, per multiple reports. According to the Telegraph’s sources, the Duke and Duchess will make the UK their primary residence for “an extended period” before deciding if they will stay there permanently.It makes sense that the Sussexes would be cautious about moving on from Montecito, where they seem to relish in the privacy of their 18,700-square-foot Mediterranean-style mansion-slash-homestead, and where Meghan built an image as a homemaking maven and jam-preneur. So, where outside London can Harry and Meghan enjoy similar comforts? For some privacy only about an hour outside of the big city, the Cotswolds, with its rolling hills, charming villages, and celebrity pedigree would certainly fit the bill. It’s easy to imagine Harry and Meghan making their home there in a storybook-worthy stone cottage. Not to mention, the area has personal ties for the prince: It’s where he spent much of his childhood, and where the couple rented a farmhouse after their 2018 nuptials.Join NowAD PRO members enjoy exclusive benefits. Get a year of unlimited access for $25 $20 per month.ArrowShould the royals decide to let go of their Montecito estate, it will be a hot commodity. “Every broker wants that listing,” a luxury real estate source told the New York Post.Not a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now.Browse the AD PRO Directory to find an AD-approved design expert for your next project.Katie Schultz is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer who reports on celebrity real estate news and other pop culture-related content for AD. She has previously written for House Digest and the Minnesota Daily. Hailing from small town Minnesota, Katie has a degree in Cinema and Media Studies from the University of ... Read MoreRead MoreWhere Does Mick Jagger Live? Exploring the Rock Star’s Global Real Estate PortfolioEven in his 80s, the Rolling Stones frontman has a rather nomadic lifestyle, splitting his time between properties around the world16 Catskills Hotels and Homes That Embody Upstate CozinessCommune with nature or go full hibernation mode at one of these stylish retreatsChris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger List Pacific Palisades Manse for $20 MillionThe Marvel megastar and the Kennedy scion are hoping the fifth time on the market’s the charm for their 11,000-square-foot SoCal estateThe Best Airbnbs in Bali For Basking in Lush LandscapesFrom built bamboo houses and sculptural villas to a tree house with its own saunaChris Appleton Brings a Sensitive Eye for Color—and Frolicking Goats—to His Cotswolds ManorAfter a decade in LA building his high-profile career, the hairstylist to Kim Kardashian and Martha Stewart purchased a storybook English country house to reconnect with his rootsChristian Siriano Puts His Exuberant Stamp On a Historic Paris ApartmentThe fashion and interior designer scored a Right Bank pied-à-terre with moldings “practically older than America”Elizabeth Taylor’s Bel Air Estate to be Preserved in $47 Million MakeoverIn an apparent about-face, the developer who purchased the star’s home has decided against demolition in favor of a 12,000-square-foot additionAaron Rodgers Lists 10,000-Square-Foot New Jersey Manse for $15 MillionThe NFL legend is planning his retirement after more than 20 seasons on the fieldThe Best Airbnbs in Croatia for an Adriatic SummerIncluding stone houses, private beaches, and a loft built into a 1,700-year-old palaceWhere Does Robert De Niro Live? Here’s His New York–Centric Real Estate PortfolioThe NYC native's name is synonymous with the city—especially Tribeca—for good reason7 Airbnbs in the Cotswolds That Nail English Countryside CharmThatched roofs, walled gardens, and honey-stone cottages for a weekend away from London