EXCLUSIVE: How 2026 Could Be the Year Prince Harry and Meghan Finally Make the Move Back to His Beloved Britain
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be making their way to the UK this year.
Feb. 1 2026, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Prince Harry is edging ever closer toward a return to Britain in 2026, with fresh legal and security developments prompting sources to tell RadarOnline.com the long-exiled royal and his wife are quietly preparing for a renewed presence in the U.K. after years of estrangement.
Harry, 41, and his wife, Meghan Markle, 44, dramatically stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and settled in California following a breakdown in relations with the royal family.
Prince Harry has been left frustrated over Markle upping their children's visibility on her social media.
Since then, the couple have weathered a succession of controversies – including public criticism of the monarchy, court battles with the British press, and the release of Harry's memoir – while raising their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
Now, advisers say the ground may be shifting. At the center of the potential change is Harry's long-running fight over police protection.
With the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures understood to be close to restoring government-funded security, Harry would no longer need to give 30 days' notice to Scotland Yard before visiting Britain.
The development coincides with the start of his six-week High Court case against the Daily Mail, adding to a sense that a chapter in the States may be closing.
Prince Harry's Hopes of Reconciliation with King Charles III
Prince Harry testified against the Daily Mail in a high-profile six-week privacy trial.
A source said: "Harry has never really hidden the fact that he wants to repair the damage with his father and, in time, the wider family. He's spoken openly about it himself, and there's a belief among those close to the situation that the King also wants some form of reconciliation.
"If the security question is finally resolved in a way that gives Harry peace of mind, it removes one of the biggest barriers. That would make it far more realistic for him to bring Archie and Lilibet to Britain, not just to see their grandfather, but potentially to reconnect with his brother and his brother's children as well, in a way that hasn't felt possible until now."
The last time Archie and Lilibet were in Britain was June 2022, during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
Since then, Harry's relationship with his father, King Charles III, 77, has remained distant. Our sources believed his children themselves could soften attitudes.
One insider said, "The distance between Harry, Meghan, and the rest of the Royal Family is still very real and shouldn't be underestimated. That said, Archie and Lilibet change the dynamic completely. Their presence would inevitably draw huge global attention, but it would also soften the atmosphere in a way nothing else could. If the children were brought to the U.K., a meeting with King Charles would be almost unavoidable, and it would naturally prompt renewed speculation about what Harry and Meghan envision for their family in the years ahead and how, if at all, Britain might fit into that picture."
Prince Harry Is 'Content' With Life
The Prince is said to be seeking to repair his damaged relationship with King Charles III.
Any return would come with limits. One of our sources said there was no prospect of Harry resuming official duties.
They said: "There is no scenario in which Harry returns to an official royal role. He's content with the life he and Meghan have built, and that decision has been settled for a long time.
"What improved security would do is remove practical obstacles, making it far easier for him to travel back and forth and begin repairing relationships if he chooses. It's about access and reassurance, not a change of status. Harry has no desire to become a working royal again, and that isn't on the table."
The Emotional Weight of Britain as Home
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Markle may join her husband for the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.
Improved security could also ease Harry's anxiety about bringing his family to a country he has previously described as unsafe, particularly ahead of the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027.
He is expected to return this summer for the one-year countdown event, and there is speculation over whether Markle will join him, having last visited Britain for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022.
For Harry, allies say the prospect of easier access to Britain represents more than logistics.
One source said: "No matter how long he's lived abroad, Britain is still Harry's home at a fundamental level and he loves it with all his heart. Being unable to return freely because he feels it isn't safe for him or his family has been an enormous emotional burden.
"If that concern is eased, it would lift a huge burden from his shoulders. With that anxiety reduced, he would be in a much better position to concentrate on rebuilding relationships, rather than constantly worrying about security and the safety of those closest to him."
