LONDON – Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are back on British soil.
The couple landed in the country on Aug. 26, according to British media outlets including The Telegraph. Their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are due to start school in September.
The family landed in Birmingham, England, at lunchtime local time on Wednesday, the newspaper reported, noting that the Sussexes "were not granted a publicly funded police convoy for the journey to their new home."
A representative for the couple declined to comment on private travel plans to USA TODAY.
When Harry and Meghan stepped back from their duties and left the country in 2020, they lost their publicly-funded security protection.
Why are Harry and Meghan coming back to the UK?
The family's decision to return home to Harry's
home country after six years in California shocked both sides of the Atlantic, sparking a range of reactions from confusion to celebration.
During their July trip to the U.K., the family of four were reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla for the first time in four years. The meeting raised hopes for reconciliation and healing following years of fractured family dynamics.
The exact reason for their return remains unclear and myriad theories continue to swirl, including a possible new acting role for the duchess and concerns for the health of King Charles III, 77, who was diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer in 2024. Harry has frequently spoken about missing his birth country, which he spent a decade serving in the military for.
Where will Harry and Meghan live?
It is not clear where the Sussexes have chosen to set up home, though they are not believed to be moving into a royal residence. The city of London would be an unlikely choice for the pair, with Meghan avoiding the capital entirely during the family's brief visit to England in July.
Royal experts suggest they couple may opt to move into a home in the Cotswolds, a naturally beautiful area of the country, made up of rolling hills, castles and country houses. The couple lived in the rural location in 2018.
The area sprawls across six English counties including Gloucestershire, where King Charles III and Queen Camilla often spend time at Highgrove, their private country residence.
Birmingham is one of the closest airports to the Cotswolds.
What kind of welcome will the Sussexes receive?
The family is landing amid an ongoing rift within the royal family that intensified in 2020 when Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back from their senior royal roles and leaving the country.
Over the last six years, the pair have made a series of explosive allegations about what life was like inside the monarchy, much to the dismay of many members of the British royal family. The claims drove an even bigger wedge between Harry and brother Prince William, who remain largely estranged.
Royal watchers are keen to see if Harry's return home brings the brothers, who were once extremely close, back together. It remains unclear if William's children Prince George, Princess Charlotte andPrince Louis will have a relationship with their Sussex cousins despite them all now living in the same country.
Buckingham Palace has made it clear the couple will not be returning to their roles as working royals.
Security arrangements for the Sussexes has long been a controversial subject in Britain. For years, Harry cited the "toxic" British tabloids and lack of taxpayer-funded security as reasons why he would not move his family to his home country, which he has always expressed love for.
The family have relied on private security firms for protection in recent years. It remains unclear if an official review of the family's security will take place now they are reportedly back on British soil.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan and children arrive back in UK
