Prince Harry and Meghan Are Settling Into Life in Britain — Their Plans for a New Home Are Raising Eyebrows

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have returned to Britain with Archie and Lilibet, bringing a major change to the family's routine. But as the Sussexes prepare for life in the UK, their plans for a new family base are proving to be rather more complicated — and particular — than expected.

Harry and Meghan arrived in the UK on Wednesday, August 26, with Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. The family landed at Birmingham Airport by private jet before being whisked away in a small convoy of blacked-out vehicles, according to the Daily Mail.

The private flight brought the family to Britain for what is expected to be an extended stay. This time, however, the couple's focus appears to be firmly on family life.

The Sussexes Are Starting a New Chapter in Britain

Harry and Meghan chartered their aircraft through Planet 9 for the journey from Los Angeles to Birmingham. The aircraft was a Bombardier Global Express XRS, reportedly refurbished in 2023.

The reported rate is around $12,000 per hour, meaning the approximately 10-hour journey could put the flight cost firmly into six figures.

The aircraft can reportedly accommodate up to 13 passengers and features two bathrooms and five beds capable of sleeping six people. It also has room for roughly 12 to 15 medium suitcases, although the family's decision to fly privately reportedly had more to do with who — and what — they wanted to bring with them.

A source told Page Six that Harry and Meghan wanted to bring their dogs, Pula, a black Labrador retriever, and Mia, a beagle, along for the move.

Their chickens, however, reportedly remained at the Montecito home, including Archie's Chick Inn, the coop named after their seven-year-old son that previously featured on Meghan's Netflix series "With Love, Meghan."

Harry is reportedly planning to be based in Britain during the children's school terms, while Archie and Lilibet are expected to start at the same nearby prep school in early September.

Sources say Harry and Meghan began drawing up a shortlist of schools in the spring before viewing schools during their July visit to Britain. The couple is expected to remain private citizens rather than return to working royal duties, with Harry continuing his charitable work while spending more time in the country where he grew up.

But there may also be a more personal reason Harry is ready to spend considerably more time in the UK.

King Charles Is Reportedly Part of the Reason

The Sussexes stunned royal watchers when they announced that they would be moving back to the UK this month for an "extended period." The Palace was reportedly informed of the plans, with Page Six reporting that King Charles III learned of his son's return just days before the news became public.

One insider pointed to a particularly personal motivation, claiming, "I know that Charles is the reason they are moving back." The monarch reportedly "looks forward" to spending more time with Harry, Meghan and their children now that they will be closer to home.

That does not mean the Sussexes are abandoning the life they built in California.

California Is Still Very Much in the Picture

Friends reportedly insist the Sussexes intend to keep their £11.1 million Montecito mansion. They also plan to retain their £6.3 million holiday home in Portugal, with school holidays potentially split between those properties.

Christmas, meanwhile, is expected to remain in California. The arrangement therefore looks less like a complete departure from America and more like the creation of a second family base.

And the area where they are reportedly looking has become one of Britain's most coveted addresses.

Why the Cotswolds Has Become a Celebrity Magnet

The Cotswolds has developed a reputation as one of Britain's most exclusive countryside enclaves, attracting wealthy families and a growing list of famous residents. David and Victoria Beckham, Princess Beatrice, Kate Moss, Zara Tindall and Simon Cowell are among the well-known names associated with the area. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have also moved there.

A HELLO! report has described the increasingly exclusive region as "Britain's Beverly Hills." Nicholas Rudge, residential sales director at Savills in Banbury, told the magazine that the Cotswolds has become particularly fashionable because of wealth flowing out of London, as well as the area's natural beauty and protections against overdevelopment.

"The Cotswolds has become hugely fashionable because money has poured out of London," Rudge said. "The region is safe, it's civilised, it's protected; it can't be overdeveloped, as it's an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty."

He also highlighted the discretion valued by residents, describing an area where famous people can go about their lives without necessarily becoming the center of attention.

For Harry and Meghan, that combination of countryside and privacy could be particularly appealing. But their reported requirements suggest they are looking for considerably more than a picturesque Cotswolds address.

The Sussexes Have a Very Particular House in Mind

According to the Daily Mail, Meghan reportedly wants nine bedrooms and a film studio in the couple's new Cotswolds home. Harry's priority is different — and perhaps even more revealing. He reportedly wants "a lot – and I mean a lot – of land," with no public footpaths crossing the property.

The emphasis on private land appears closely connected to the family's desire for privacy. Rather than simply buying an impressive country house, the couple reportedly wants enough surrounding space to create a secluded environment for themselves and their children.

They are also apparently unwilling to make such a major decision based only on photographs or virtual tours. One source explained that the properties are so large that Harry and Meghan need to see them in person before deciding whether they are genuinely somewhere they want to raise their children.

"With houses you don't know until you step into them if they are where you want to raise your children," the source said. The same source imagined the questions they might ask themselves while walking through a potential home:

"Is this the snug where we will light a fire and watch a film; is this the kitchen where I will cook meals for the next ten formative years of my child’s life?"

In other words, the Sussexes are reportedly searching for a family environment as much as a property.

Their Children's Childhood Is Driving the Decision

What happens around the house appears to matter just as much as what is inside it. A friend told the Daily Mail that academic achievement is relatively low on Harry and Meghan's list of priorities for Archie and Lilibet. Instead, a nurturing atmosphere and an outdoorsy, sporting ethos rank much higher.

"It's not academia. That is very low on the list. A nurturing atmosphere is very high on the list. Probably the highest priority is the outdoorsy and sporting ethos," the friend said.

The goal is reportedly to place Archie and Lilibet in "a secure countryside microcosm" where they can experience as normal a childhood as possible.

Harry's own experience at Ludgrove appears to have influenced that vision. The friend recalled the prep school as being surrounded by fields, with Harry and Prince William treated by their fellow pupils as members of the school community rather than as extraordinary figures.

Those years were reportedly especially meaningful to Harry, with the friend describing Ludgrove as a solace during difficult times before Princess Diana died in 1997. The Sussexes reportedly want their children to experience something similar: community, sport, outdoor life and a setting where Archie and Lilibet can simply be schoolchildren.

There is one detail that has apparently caught Meghan off guard, however. "At this time, Meghan is kind of shocked that they have school on a Saturday; other than that, she is looking forward to it," a friend said.

The same source said Harry and Meghan both believe the move is "the best decision for the family."

There Is Still One Big Problem: They Haven't Bought It

All of those plans come with a rather important detail. Harry and Meghan do not yet have their new British home. Despite reports linking the couple to a £12 million property, three sources reportedly confirmed that there is no deal on the house, at least for now. Other possibilities remain on the market, and the Sussexes are now house-hunting in earnest.

Their agent is involved, but the couple still needs to view properties in person before deciding which one could become their family base. So the Sussexes have arrived in Britain. Their children are preparing to begin school. And yet the home that is supposed to anchor this new chapter has not been chosen.

Which leaves one question. Where are they actually living? The answer is considerably more unexpected than another grand country property.

Harry and Meghan Are Staying at a Wealthy Friend's Estate

The Daily Mail reports that Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are currently staying "indefinitely" in a spare house on the land of an extremely wealthy friend on the fringes of the Cotswolds.

The precise location has not been disclosed. That means the Sussexes are already living in the area where they are reportedly searching for their permanent home — but the house they are currently occupying belongs to someone else.

Their prospective neighbors are reportedly already gossiping about which property the couple might eventually buy, where Archie and Lilibet will attend school, and when they might first encounter Harry or Meghan locally.

For now, however, the family's British address remains temporary. And the arrangement highlights just how important privacy is to the couple's plans. Harry reportedly wants extensive private land and no public footpaths crossing the eventual property, while Meghan's wish list includes enough space for a large family home and a film studio.

Security Is Still a Complication

The family's desire for privacy comes as Harry's long-running security dispute remains unresolved. Despite returning to Britain with Meghan and their children, Harry has not been granted state-funded protection beyond access to a police liaison officer.

According to ITV News, Harry's lawyers have written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood asking her to personally intervene in the security process. His team believes the family's risk factors have changed significantly now that they are spending an extended period in the UK.

Former royal protection officer Scott Hamer has criticized the current arrangement, arguing that a police contact number cannot provide the same protection as a dedicated security detail.

Scott also argued that the decision should be based on an objective assessment of threat and risk rather than Harry's personality or status. He pointed to the fact that eight non-working former prime ministers currently receive publicly funded police protection and said he believed the threats facing Harry were greater.

Prince Harry and Meghan continue to pay for their own private security, but their private security personnel do not have access to intelligence held by MI5 or MI6 and cannot carry firearms while operating in the UK.

The dispute has taken on renewed significance now that the Sussexes are back in Britain. Harry has previously rejected the use of the term "non-working royal" as a reason to deny his family greater security, arguing that he remains committed to public service despite stepping away from royal duties.

For a family whose new home requirements place such a strong emphasis on privacy and seclusion, the unresolved security question is an especially significant part of their British return.