Changed clothes, made a cup of tea, and turned on the TV. I have a Samsung TV, so the first thing I see is BBC World News, which has breaking news. Harry and Meghan are returning to the United Kingdom, bringing their children, Prince Archie, 7, and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet.
I checked my bingo card: Sussexes heading back to UK was not on it!
The Telegraph's Victoria Ward broke the embargoed story at 5 p.m. ET, blindsiding everyone. No one saw this coming. Ward writes that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's plans "go beyond a mere bolthole for flying visits."
What do we know: Not Much
The Sussex family will arrive by the end of the month, as the two children are already enrolled in British private schools. They are planning to live outside London for an "extended period."
King Charles was informed on Sunday about Harry's plans. The move was not discussed when Harry, Meghan, and the children visited the king and queen at Highgrove last month. King Charles is said to be "naturally pleased" that he will be able to spend more time with Harry and his family. But there will be "no alteration" to the Sussexes' position within the Royal Family.
The Duke and Duchess's position as non-working royals means they will not have any official duties.
Harry will continue to support his private charities, including the Invictus Games, WellChild and Scotty's Little Soldiers.
Meghan will run As Ever from the new home in England
The couple will retain their properties in Montecito and Portugal.
The family will arrive shortly before a judge issues a costs judgment against the Duke of Sussex and others, all of whom lost their suit against the Daily Mail.
I have tried to focus on what is known:
Who: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
What: The Sussexes are moving back to England, six years after moving to California, where they wanted to escape media intrusion.
Where: a private, non-royal residence outside London. The town has not been identified for privacy reasons.
How: A British Airways flight from Los Angeles to London
Why: We do not know, except that they wanted their children to attend British schools. The question has also not been answered. Will they be bringing their security from the US, for example?
I refuse to speculate. Some on social media say the Sussexes are broke. If that were the case, their homes would be up for sale. It is also unlikely that they will appear at official royal events, including Trooping and Christmas at Sandringham. It is more likely that the family will head to warmer climes for the Christmas break, most likely in Montecito.
Shortly after the wedding, Meghan applied for a Spousal Visa, which would allow her to live in the UK for two years. She would then apply for another two-year renewal and, after five years, apply for Leave to remain, which would provide permanent residence. The original visa became void because she moved to the United States in March 2020. The Duchess travels on a U.S. passport, and with the ETA, she can stay in the UK up to six months, but cannot merely leave the country for a short period and then return for another six months.
Being married to a British citizen does not automatically give a spouse the right to live in the United Kingdom, even if one is married to a member of the Royal Family.
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