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By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly moved to a new property on the estate of a wealthy friend and stopped house hunting in Britain—keeping them flexible about where they choose to live permanently.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved back to Britain in August after six years living in California. However, they have not sold their Montecito mansion, and Newsweek understands there is no specific time frame for how long they will stay in Britain.
The couple have been living on at the home of a wealthy friend near the Cotswolds. Newsweek and other media organizations have not revealed the location out of respect for the couple's privacy.
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Daily Mail reported they have left the main house, taking up residence in another property on the estate. The British newspaper said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stopped house hunting.
Newsweek approached the Sussex camp who declined to comment on matters related to private accommodation.
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Why It Matters
There remains a vacuum of information about how long the Sussexes plan to stay in Britain and their motivation for coming back to a country they previously said they were driven out of. The absence of concrete information places greater focus on the couple's other decisions, as a means of gaining insight into how they feel about their new lives.
Harry's only explanation for the move so far has been a desire to put their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in British schools. However, the couple have not actually said whether they will stay for the duration of the children's school careers, which would be until around 2039 in Lilibet's case.
Prince Harry and Meghan's Living Arrangements
Harry and Meghan have not been staying with the royals since their return to Britain, living instead with a wealthy friend in the English countryside.
In September, Meghan posted videos of their new lifestyle. These included one of rain boots splashing in a muddy puddle and another showing a child warming their feet by a roaring fire—a somewhat-different experience to sunny California.
Archie and Lilibet are enrolled at a British private school, though the family switched after their security team raised concerns about the length of the traffic jams at their original choice.
The family went abroad for the half term holiday, though Newsweek understands not to Portugal where they have a holiday home. They came back to Britain in time for English school children to return to lessons on Monday.
Were the family to buy property, however, that would give them long-term roots in the country and suggest they do intend their stay to run for years rather than months. Daily Mail reported the couple had originally been looking for property with a £10 million [around $13 million] budget.
Prince Harry and Meghan's UK Life
Rumors have been circulating in the British tabloids that the couple could return to California after Christmas, However, there are a number of reasons Harry and Meghan might want to stay until the summer, if not beyond.
Harry's Invictus Games tournament for veterans is due to be held in Birmingham, England, in July. Being based in the U.K. in the year building up to the event will give him the opportunity to raise its profile through visits to related causes.
For example, the prince attended the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards in September, raising $2.2 million dollars for the Invictus Games Foundation.
August 2027 marks the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, and Harry is preparing a tribute project to mark the milestone, though Newsweek understands specific plans are still taking shape. One option is a Netflix documentary about his mother and her legacy. Remaining in Britain would allow the couple to film on location and interview any U.K.-based friends or relatives who wanted to take part.
Then there is reconciliation with the royal family. In a September 2025 interview with The Guardian, Harry said his father, King Charles III, would be his main focus for the next 12 months. The prince saw the king in July and spoke to him by phone shortly after the couple moved to Britain.
Opportunities to spend face-to-face time with the king do not come very often, even for working royals like Harry's brother Prince William. The Sussexes are expected to miss one of the biggest in the calendar as they plan to spend Christmas back in California.
It is unclear whether they would ever have got an invite to Sandringham, where the royals spend the festive period. However, by heading back to America, they avoided putting the king in an awkward position. Had Charles invited them, it would likely have upset Prince William, who no longer speaks to Harry.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Daniel Orton and James Debens
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