Are Harry and Meghan looking to set up a home in the UK?

Harry is said to be 'missing' his life here

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle swapped the UK for California in early 2020. Then, in early 2023, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were evicted from their UK base of Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, meaning they no longer have a place of their own to stay when they cross the Atlantic for a visit. 

Now, Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell has spoken out about what he believes the Sussexes would do were they to spend more time in the UK — or even move back to Harry's home country.

"I personally think there is no job or working role for them in the Royal Family, I think that's long gone," Paul said (via Express).

"We shouldn’t expect them to come back as working members of the Royal Family because they aren’t going to, they are going to have to plough their own field now."

As for what kind of house the royal couple might look into if they decided to buy a home in the UK, Paul also had some ideas.

"Harry should remember his days at Highgrove when he used to ride. It would have to be a house with its own grounds and security, similar to Highgrove," the former butler said, referring to the King's home in Gloucestershire.

Paul also believes that Harry may be quite homesick living in California, and that there's a chance he would want his two children — Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — to have more of a connection to their dad's home country as they grow older.

It's far from the first time royal commentators have speculated that Harry feels homesick. For example, one source said in September: "He knows he has to get behind Meghan and support her in their new life. But he misses home and is forever hoping for calls from his dad and brother that never come."

Thankfully, Harry did call King Charles for his birthday last week, and that call reportedly marked a first step towards a potential reconciliation. 

Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn is a celebrity and royal news writer for Marie Claire. As a London-based freelance journalist, she writes about wellness, relationships, pop culture, beauty and more for the likes of InStyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red. Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, Iris is especially interested in debunking diet culture and destigmatising mental health struggles. Previously, she was the associate editor for Her Campus, where she oversaw the style and beauty news sections, as well as producing gift guides, personal essays and celebrity interviews. There, she worked remotely from Los Angeles, after returning from a three-month stint as an editorial intern for Cosmopolitan.com in New York. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, she interned at goop and C California Style and served as Her Campus' national style and LGBTQ+ editor. Iris was born and raised in France by a French father and an English mother. Her Spotify Wrapped is riddled with country music and One Direction, and she can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.