Reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are considering moving back to the UK have reportedly been shut down by those close to the couple, despite the Duke of Sussex’s recent visit to his home country.

A source told HELLO! that although Prince Harry “loved” his four-day trip to the UK earlier this month, a move back to Britain is not on the cards.

Are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moving back to the UK?

Much of the speculation was fuelled by claims that Prince Harry, 41, had enrolled his six-year-old son, Prince Archie, at Eton College, the prestigious boys’ boarding school he and his brother, Prince William, once attended.

But a friend of the duke told HELLO! they would be “very surprised” if he opted for boarding school at all and dismissed the Eton claim outright.

They also shut down the idea of a permanent UK return for Harry and Meghan.

A spokesperson for Harry later confirmed: “I can confirm that Prince Harry has not put Archie’s name down for Eton. The duke has no plans to send his son to Eton.”

The prestigious school is located near Windsor. It has also been linked to Prince William’s son George, who will leave prep school Lambrook next year when he turns 13.

But the Sussexes, now based in Montecito, California, appear unlikely to follow suit when it comes to their children’s education.

Harry’s own experience at Eton was far from straightforward. In his memoir, Spare, he recounted feeling isolated and struggled to fit in socially, turning to sports for a sense of identity.

He also claimed that Prince William distanced himself from his younger brother at school, telling Harry not to associate with him.

“At the time, it hurt. I couldn’t make sense of it,” Harry told Anderson Cooper in a 2023 interview.

Harry left Eton in 2003 with two A-levels in art and geography, then enjoyed a gap year. He enrolled at Sandhurst Military Academy in 2005.

Prince Harry’s UK visit

Despite the school rumours being debunked, Harry did speak warmly about the UK education system during the WellChild Awards earlier this month.

According to singer Joss Stone, who spoke to HELLO! after the event, Harry gushed about “how wonderful the schools are here and how important community is for children”.

Still, security remains a major barrier to any plans for the Sussexes to spend extended time in the UK. In May, Harry lost a legal battle over police protection for his family during UK visits.

When he and Meghan quit royal duties in 2020, their taxpayer-funded security was downgraded.

“I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” Harry told the BBC after the ruling.

Harry’s private meeting with King Charles

Despite the complications, Harry has not given up on reconciliation with his family. He and Meghan became estranged from the royal family after their tell-all interviews about their time in the monarchy.

Earlier this month, he met privately with his father King Charles at Clarence House for their first in-person meeting in 19 months.

The Duke of Sussex later described his father as “great” amid his ongoing cancer treatment.

Then speaking to The Guardian during a trip to Ukraine, Harry added: “The focus really has to be on my dad.”

Regarding bringing his children Archie and Lilibet, four, on a future trip to Britain, he said: “This week has definitely brought that closer.”