Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are moving back to Britain more than six years after leaving behind their lives as working members of the royal family and moving to the United States.
The couple began dating about a decade ago and married in 2018. She is an American actress, three years his senior, biracial, divorced and vocal about her views, and their union seemed to usher in a new, more inclusive modern era for the British royal family.
They have two children, Prince Archie, born in London in May 2019, and Princess Lilibet, born in California in June 2021.
The couple struggled with the attention and pressure on them in Britain, where the press targeted the duchess, and chose to leave in 2020.
Here is a timeline of their break with their royal roles and with Britain and the American life they have led since.
October 2019: Meghan and Prince Harry say they are taking six weeks off from royal duties later in the year and soon after celebrate their newborn son’s first Christmas on Vancouver Island, Canada, privately. In retrospect, the holiday hinted at things to come.
January 2020: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announce their intentions to “carve out a progressive new role” in the British monarchy, saying they will “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family” and “work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.” They did not get clearance for their announcement from Queen Elizabeth II, and their remarks set off a crisis in the royal family.
Buckingham Palace says soon after that the couple will stop using their loftiest royal titles, give up state funding and repay at least $3 million in taxpayer money that had been used to refurbish their official residence at Windsor Castle.
March 2020: The couple takes part in their final engagement as working royals. As of March 31, they are no longer full-time working members of the House of Windsor.
September 2020: The couple, having resettled in California, unveil new Hollywood careers. They found a production company — later named Archewell Productions — and sign a multiyear deal with Netflix to make documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming.
February 2021: A little more than a year after announcing their plans to step back from the royal duties, Buckingham Palace announces that Harry and Meghan “confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.” Queen Elizabeth II had made clear she would not tolerate a half-in, half-out arrangement with the couple.
March 2021: In a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey on CBS, Meghan reveals that she struggled with suicidal thoughts after her marriage, describing a royal life that began as a fairy tale but quickly turned suffocating and cruel. She raises issues of race and privilege in the most rarefied echelon of British society in an interview that shines an awkward and at times unflattering light on the British royal family.
June 2021: Princess Lilibet of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan’s second child, is born in a California hospital.
June 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan attend Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee together in Britain.
September 2022: Queen Elizabeth II dies, and Harry and Meghan attend the funeral, where Meghan’s every move is scrutinized, particularly following revelations over the years of tensions between her and her husband and his brother, Prince William, and his wife, Kate Middleton.
December 2022: Meghan and Prince Harry’s Netflix docuseries premieres, with the couple revealing ever more about their difficulties with relatives and particularly with the British press.
January 2023: Prince Harry releases his memoir, “Spare,” revealing his own struggles with members of his family.
May 2023: Prince Harry attends the coronation of his father, King Charles III, without his wife, who stayed in the United States. He left shortly after the event.
March 2025: Meghan launches a lifestyle show on Netflix, called, “With Love, Meghan,” that shows her cooking, gardening and hanging out with friends. It airs for two seasons, followed by a Christmas special. This past March, Meghan’s accompanying lifestyle brand As ever and Netflix announce the brand is going independent.
August 2025: The production company for the Sussexes signs a new Netflix deal, worth less for the royals than their last arrangement.
July 2026: The duke and duchess and their two children meet for the first time in years with King Charles III and Queen Camilla, according to Buckingham Palace. The visit, a sign of a détente between Harry and his father, prompts speculation about whether the couple is making its way back to the fold.
August 2026: Prince Harry and his family are moving back to Britain in the upcoming weeks, two people familiar with their decision told The Times. King Charles III was informed of the decision earlier, though it was not discussed when the duke and duchess visited Britain over the summer. Harry and Meghan will remain non-working royals.
