Harry and Meghan bid to win back King's trust - but decision over taxpayer-funded security looms over royal return

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Harry and Meghan announced on Wednesday that they are returning to Britain after six years living in California.

The thawing of relations with Harry's home country follows a heartwarming reunion with the King during a brief visit earlier this year.

Reports claim that the Sussexes are planning a move to the Cotswolds after their years in Montecito - and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, are set to enrol in UK schools.

This would mean that the pair would not be returning to the luxurious Frogmore Cottage, the royal property which they vacated when they crossed the Atlantic in 2020.

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Despite their relationship with Charles recovering, the pair are said to be keen to put their series of highly controversial media outings behind them, according to several media outlets.

The pair's first, and most damaging, interview came as they spoke to Oprah Winfrey in 2021 - when Meghan made an accusation of racism against an unnamed member of the Royal Family.

Harry later released his 2023 memoir, titled Spare, which made a new series of allegations against his erstwhile family.

The interviews reportedly severed the last bonds of trust within the Firm.

The Royal Family is largely currently on a summer break at Balmoral in Scotland, with a relaxing holiday now said to be turned into a crisis given the imminent return of the Sussexes.

All eyes will be on Harry's relationship with brother, Prince William, after his memoir detailed a physical altercation between the formerly close siblings.

Despite their return to Britain, Harry and Meghan are understood to not be likely to return to duties as working royals.

The King, who is said to be pleased at the return of his younger son, is also understood to insist that the work of the Royal Family as a national institution will not change.

The return of Harry and Meghan has also brought back into focus the long-running dispute between the couple and the Home Office about taxpayer-funded protection.

The Sussexes definitively lost their battle to have police protection on trips back to the UK earlier this year.

Their return could complicate this ruling - with a potential bill of £5 million per year reported to keep the returning royals safe despite not undertaking royal duties.

Two senior government sources told The Telegraph that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the body that determines the security arrangements of high-profile figures, was likely to review the couple’s security amid their return.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham insisted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's security arrangements are a "private matter".

Speaking from Bradford this morning, the PM was asked about Harry and Meghan's impending return to the UK and details of any pre-arranged security arrangements.

Asked about whether the government would be footing the bill for security, the Prime Minister branded it a "private matter".

He added: "It's a matter for Harry and Meghan and we wish them well in the move that they're making."

The Duke and Duchess are understood to be returning for an "extended period" of time, according to reports.

But the couple's return has also been described as unexpected, with sources telling The Mirror that Prince William and the King were "blindsided" by the decision, having only been informed a matter of days ago.

In response to questions surrounding the pair's security arrangements, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. 

“It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”

The King was first made aware of the move on Sunday and is understood to welcome the opportunity to see more the family both in a private and personal capacity.

But their status will remain the same, with the couple not being offered a “half-in-half-out” option when it comes to their roles.

The Telegraph – which broke the story – reports the couple’s children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are enrolled to start at British schools in September.

Prince William and Princess Catherine have also been informed of the move.

The move comes after the couple left the UK and royal duties back in 2020.

Relations between the pair and the wider royal family had been strained since the move, with July's visit to Highgrove being a key development.

It was the first time the King had seen his grandchildren in person in more than four years.

Harry and Meghan, who married at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in May 2018 to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were once dubbed part of the “Fab Four” with the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

But in March 2019, Buckingham Palace announced Harry and Meghan would set up their own household, breaking from the joint operation they had with William and Kate, amid media reports of rifts between the two couples.

And in January 2020, the duke and duchess announced they intended to step back as “senior” members of the royal family, become financially independent, still support the Queen but split their time between the UK and North America.

By March 2020, they had set up a permanent home in Los Angeles, California, and on March 31 of that month, Harry and Meghan officially stepped down as senior royals and stopped using their HRH styles.

The shock announcement that the couple are moving back to Britain comes less than two months after the duke was trying to find a way to safely bring his wife and children to the UK to mark the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham.

At the end of June, he was still waiting for a review by the Risk Management Board (RMB), part of the process by which the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) rules on his security requirements – and he and his security detail were working behind the scenes to try to ensure the visit could take place safely.

Meghan was able to travel to the UK in July with Archie and Lilibet to join Harry when he came to the end of a week-long series of events promoting the games.

During the visit, the duke and duchess took their children to see the King for the first time in four years at his Highgrove home.

The Invictus Games take place from July 10-27 next year, with Birmingham expected to welcome around 550 wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, and their families, from 25 nations.