Harry and Meghan arrive for ‘extended’ stay in the U.K. six years after royal exit

LONDON — Prince Harry and his family sought to begin a new life for a second time as they arrived back in the United Kingdom on Wednesday after six years in California, a source close to them confirmed to NBC News.

The Duke of Sussex, 41, and his wife, Meghan, 45, flew in on a private plane with their two children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, according to several media reports.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes declined to comment on where the family would be living, citing privacy and security concerns. However, the spokesperson did confirm that they brought their dogs with them, although their chickens would remain in Montecito, California, where the family had been living since 2020.

A source close to the couple told NBC News last week that they were moving back for an “extended period” of time.

Harry and Meghan rattled the British royal family six years ago when they opted to step down as working royals, eventually choosing a quieter life in the affluent coastal enclave in Santa Barbara.

Relations have been strained in the years since, worsened in part by explosive allegations of racism and bullying made by the couple in their Netflix documentary “Harry & Meghan” and in Harry’s memoir, “Spare.”

After years with few signs of a royal rapprochement, Britain was shocked last week when it emerged they were planning a return.

Harry and Meghan will remain private individuals and nonworking members of the royal family, a source familiar with the couple’s plans told NBC News last week, while reports in British media indicated that Archie and Lilibet have been enrolled in schools in the country.

Questions remain over what security arrangements will be in place for the couple, after a protracted legal battle between Harry and the British government over the removal of their security protection.

Asked about their security last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “This is a private matter, it’s a matter for Harry and Meghan, and we wish them well in the moves that they’re making.”

The couple’s planned return had sparked a slew of media coverage, with front pages dominated by unconfirmed reports that Meghan could return to acting for the first time since she departed the television show “Suits” ahead of her 2018 wedding to Harry.

Harry’s return to Britain also comes after he and several other claimants were ordered to pay a combined £34.5 million ($46 million) to a major newspaper publisher after losing a High Court battle over alleged breaches of privacy. That battle was one of several salvos between Harry and the British press.