Meghan Markle Returns to the UK With Harry and Their Children — and a New Apple Butter

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed at Birmingham Airport on a Wednesday afternoon in a private plane, arriving back in the United Kingdom with their two children ahead of the new school term (Hello!). Prince Archie, aged 7, and Princess Lilibet, aged 5, were with them. The family is relocating to the UK for an extended stay that began this month, according to People (People).

Archie is set to enter Year Five and Lilibet Year One, enrolled in new schools whose locations have not been disclosed for security reasons (Hello!). The timing aligns with the British school calendar, which begins its autumn term around the week of 26 August 2026 (The Independent). The New York Times had reported on 20 August that the couple planned to settle back in Britain in the weeks after that month (The New York Times).

Meghan marked the arrival by promoting her lifestyle brand, As Ever, which announced a new spiced apple butter spread the same day. The brand's caption read: "Introducing Spiced Apple Butter. Our newest seasonal spread, available on its own or as part of the Spiced Apple Butter Trio. Shop now at AsEver.com" (Hello!). The product had been teased in the days before launch with an image captioned "A fall favourite. Coming soon." The autumnal timing of the release fits the seasonal product line's theme.

On the acting front, Deadline reported that Meghan was offered a role in Guy Ritchie's crime thriller series The Gentlemen. Talks were described as in early stages, and no specific role had been identified for her (Hello!). The Gentlemen, a Netflix series spun off from Ritchie's 2019 film of the same name, blends aristocratic inheritance drama with the cannabis trade — a world of country estates and criminal enterprise.

For followers of the couple, the return to the UK carries weight beyond tourism. Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as working members of the Royal Family in 2020 and relocated to California. This move back, even if described as an extended stay rather than a permanent repatriation, places the children in British schools and returns the family to the country Harry has described as home. The school enrolment, in particular, roots the visit in the rhythm of everyday British family life rather than the calendar of royal engagements.

The As Ever product launch running alongside the arrival gives a commercial thread to the story as well. Meghan has built the brand since stepping back from royal duties, and syncing a seasonal product drop with a transatlantic move draws the two worlds together.

Whether the stay proves temporary or longer-term, the practical steps are concrete: flights booked, schools chosen, and a jar of apple butter on the virtual shelf.