The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are unlikely to return to Britain together in the foreseeable future after Prince Harry admitted he has “genuine concerns” for his wife Meghan’s safety in the country.
Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals in 2020, leaving Frogmore Cottage in Windsor for Montecito, California, where they now live with their two children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four. The quiet enclave near Santa Barbara—also home to celebrities including Rob Lowe, Oprah Winfrey, and Gwyneth Paltrow—has become the couple’s permanent base.
Since settling in the United States, Meghan, 44, has launched her own lifestyle brand and found success with her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, while Harry, 40, has continued his work with the Invictus Games and released his bestselling memoir Spare in 2023. The couple’s move was always framed as a new chapter, but Harry has made clear that fears over Meghan’s treatment in the UK remain a decisive factor in their absence.
Harry’s “genuine concerns” over Meghan’s safety
In last year’s ITV documentary Tabloids on Trial, Harry spoke candidly about his reluctance to bring Meghan back to his home country, citing the British media’s aggressive coverage of her.
“All it takes is for one lone actor who reads this stuff to act on what they’ve read,” he said. “And whether it’s a knife or acid, these are things that are genuine concerns for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Legal battle over police protection
Harry’s anxieties over safety were compounded earlier this year when the High Court upheld a decision by Ravec—the body overseeing protection for high-profile individuals—to downgrade his police security in the UK.
The case was heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in May, where Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos acknowledged that Harry’s safety concerns were both “powerful and moving.” However, he ruled that the Duke’s “sense of grievance” did not amount to a valid legal claim.
The judgment followed an earlier ruling in February 2024 by High Court judge Sir Peter Lane, who had also sided with Ravec’s decision.
In response, Harry issued a statement emphasising his continued connection to Britain despite living abroad for more than five years. “The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home, as much as where they live at the moment in the United States,” he said.
“That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil. I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”