Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, arrived with their two children in Britain on Wednesday, according to the BBC.
The New York Times could not independently confirm the BBC report, which did not identify sources and which quoted a spokesman for Harry as saying, “This is not something we would comment on.”
Harry, the youngest son of King Charles III, left Britain in 2020 amid a rancorous breakdown in relations with his family. Harry and Meghan said they were stepping back from their royal duties, and they gave up the use of their royal titles.
From their home near Santa Barbara, Calif., Harry and Meghan then aired the royal family’s dirty laundry in interviews, documentaries and a tell-all book, accusing the family of racism and bullying aimed at Meghan.
At the time, Buckingham Palace said in a statement, “some recollections may vary” but that the accusations were being “taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
For years, the rupture appeared to be irreparable. But last week, people close to Harry and Meghan made it known that the couple would be moving back and had enrolled their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, in school in Britain.
A person familiar with the king’s thinking, who asked for anonymity to discuss private royal matters, said that Charles welcomed the chance to spend more time with Harry and the family. There has been no comment from Harry’s brother, Prince William, who is the heir to the throne.
It was not immediately clear where Harry and his family would live, though a person familiar with the decision to move, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said last week that they would most likely live outside London. British news organizations have speculated that they will live in the Cotswolds, a picturesque area about two hours west of London.
The couple have not disclosed where Archie and Lilibet will attend school, though modern royals have almost always attended exclusive private schools that can try to shield students from scrutiny.
The children of Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, have attended Lambrook School, not far from Windsor Castle, which promises “first-class teaching and superb facilities with traditional values.” In September, Prince George, who is William and Catherine’s eldest son and the second in line to the throne, will attend Eton College, a boarding school which both William and Harry attended.
Last week, two people with knowledge about the move said that Meghan’s representatives had been in talks to join a third season of “The Gentlemen,” Guy Ritchie’s Netflix crime series. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because no deal had been consummated. Later reports in other news organizations said that those discussions had faltered.
Harry is likely to make some public appearances in the coming weeks, including in his role as the founder of the Invictus Games, a sporting event for wounded military personnel and veterans.
But some royal watchers said that Harry and Meghan would probably try to keep a low profile at first.
“What we’re probably going to see is a couple laying relatively low, steadily trying to rebuild their public images,” said Ed Owens, a royal historian. “And doing so discreetly. They’re not coming here for another fight or for more acrimony.”