Sarah Ferguson is said to have been in the loop about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to Britain before the Sussexes touched down. The couple arrived in the UK on August 26 after taking a private flight from California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan are understood to be planning to stay in a private residence rather than a royal property, with the Cotswolds widely viewed as the most likely location. While King Charles was reportedly informed only shortly before their arrival, royal author Andrew Lownie has claimed Ferguson had known about the move much earlier, citing what he described in the Daily Mail as highly reliable sources.
Lownie wrote that “Ferguson knew what was going on and she laid her own plans accordingly,” suggesting the former Duchess of York carefully scheduled her own return to the UK at a time when Harry and Meghan’s comeback was already commanding major media attention.
According to People, Ferguson had been getting ready to settle into a six-bedroom rental property in the Home Counties after spending seven months overseas. Her time away followed her departure from Royal Lodge amid renewed controversy involving her former husband, Prince Andrew.
Sarah Ferguson Is Returning to the U.K. Following 7 Months Out of the Public Eye, Days After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Ferguson has been staying out of the public eye and abroad amid fallout from the Epstein scandal pic.twitter.com/T3QNkRGvhN— BLACK BULL (@blackbullrace) August 29, 2026
Lownie also suggested that Ferguson may have learned about the plans during a visit to Princess Eugenie in Portugal. Eugenie welcomed her third child, a daughter named Adelaide, on August 3. According to Lownie, Markle may have told Ferguson herself about it. Notably, Harry and Markle also own a holiday property there.
The royal commentator said, “First, both women have existed in a state of open warfare with the Palace machine for years.” Second, the former actress probably looks up to Ferguson for following the “half-in, half-out” system while trading on her title and royal connections. Lownie added that Ferguson had long used her royal title to boost commercial work.
Now that Harry and Markle have returned to the UK, their children are set to attend school in Britain for the first time this September. The kids previously went to school near their Montecito home. The Times reported that Harry and Markle waited until mid-August to learn if the children “had got in.” A source said, “There was no special treatment.”
The couple still hasn’t revealed the school or their new UK home. However, their Cotswolds home search came with a big wish list. The Daily Mail reported that Markle wants nine bedrooms and a film studio. Meanwhile, Harry wants “a lot, and I mean a lot, of land” with no public footpaths nearby.
Meghan Markle has wild demands for her new UK home – 9 bedrooms and a film studio among them pic.twitter.com/Alvy5z3qX4
— TheProfit (@frank_rosh) August 31, 2026
Harry and Markle first announced their royal exit in January 2020. In a statement, they said they would “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family” and become financially independent. Queen Elizabeth II signed off on the deal ten days later. The new arrangement took effect that spring.
Then, in February 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed the couple would not return as working royals after their year-long review. The recent UK return was a family decision, and their children were a big part of it. Markle wanted Archie and Lilibet to experience their American life and Harry’s British roots.
A Montecito source told People that she felt lucky to give them “the opportunity to experience both worlds.” Later, their spokesperson also told The New York Times that, “On the heels of a wonderful trip with family and friends this summer,” Harry and Markle decided to spend more time in Britain.