Reports on 20 August 2026 indicate that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are preparing to relocate to Britain with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Whatever the long-term significance of the move, it marks the latest chapter in a story that has attracted worldwide attention since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first met in 2016.
Rather than examining the reasons behind events or revisiting competing interpretations, this timeline records the major milestones in their relationship and public life, from their engagement and marriage to their decision to step back from royal duties and the years that followed. It focuses on dated events and publicly confirmed developments rather than speculation, rumour or commentary.
2016
July 2016 – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are introduced through mutual friends and begin a relationship.
October 2016 – News of their relationship becomes public.
8 November 2016 – Kensington Palace issues a statement condemning harassment and abuse directed at Meghan in the media and online.
2017
September 2017 – Harry and Meghan make their first official public appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto.
27 November 2017 – Their engagement is announced, followed by a televised interview discussing their relationship and future plans.
2018
19 May 2018 – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II grants them the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
October 2018 – During an official tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, the couple announce that they are expecting their first child.
2019
6 May 2019 – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor is born.
September–October 2019 – During a tour of southern Africa, both Harry and Meghan speak publicly about the pressures of royal life and media scrutiny in the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey.
2020
8 January 2020 – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announce their intention to step back as senior working members of the Royal Family and to work towards financial independence.
13 January 2020 – Discussions take place at Sandringham between Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry regarding the Sussexes’ future role.
18 January 2020 – Buckingham Palace announces the agreement governing the couple’s future relationship with the monarchy, often referred to as the “Sandringham Agreement”.
Key Terms of the Sandringham Agreement
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex would cease to be working members of the Royal Family.
They would no longer receive public funding through the Sovereign Grant.
They would not use their HRH styles in practice.
They would pursue financial independence.
Certain patronages and honorary appointments would be relinquished.
The arrangements would be reviewed after one year.
March 2020 – Harry and Meghan undertake their final programme of engagements as working royals.
31 March 2020 – The transition period formally ends.
2020 – Harry and Meghan establish Archewell, which becomes the umbrella organisation for their charitable foundation and a range of media and philanthropic initiatives.
Spring–Summer 2020 – After spending time in Canada, the couple establish a permanent home in California.
2021
14 February 2021 – Harry and Meghan announce that they are expecting their second child.
15 February 2021 – Following the one-year review of the Sandringham Agreement, Buckingham Palace confirms that the Duke and Duchess will not return as working members of the Royal Family. Prince Harry’s honorary military appointments and royal patronages are returned to Queen Elizabeth II for redistribution.
7 March 2021 – Harry and Meghan participate in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast internationally.
9 March 2021 – Queen Elizabeth II issues a statement on behalf of the Royal Family, acknowledging concerns raised during the interview and stating that the matters would be addressed privately.
4 June 2021 – Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor is born in California.
June 2021 – Meghan publishes the children’s book The Bench.
1 July 2021 – Prince Harry returns to Britain for the unveiling of a statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, at Kensington Palace on what would have been her 60th birthday.
2022
April 2022 – Harry and Meghan visit Queen Elizabeth II before attending the Invictus Games in The Hague.
2–5 June 2022 – The couple attends events associated with Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
August 2022 – Meghan launches Archetypes, a Spotify podcast exploring stereotypes and labels applied to women.
8 September 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II dies at Balmoral Castle.
September 2022 – Harry and Meghan remain in Britain during the period of national mourning and attend events surrounding the late Queen’s State Funeral.
December 2022 – Netflix releases the six-part documentary series Harry & Meghan, the couple’s first major screen project under their production partnership with the streaming service.
2023
10 January 2023 – Prince Harry’s memoir Spare is published.
May 2023 – Harry attends the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey.
June 2023 – Spotify and Archewell Audio announce the end of their podcast partnership following the first season of Archetypes.
June 2023 – Prince Harry gives evidence in court during legal proceedings against Mirror Group Newspapers, becoming one of the most senior members of the Royal Family in modern times to appear in the witness box.
Throughout 2023 – Harry continues several legal actions relating to media organisations and privacy issues.
2024
February 2024 – Following the announcement that King Charles III is undergoing treatment for cancer, Prince Harry travels to Britain to visit his father.
March 2024 – Meghan announces the launch of her lifestyle brand, originally named American Riviera Orchard.
July 2024 – Prince Harry receives the Pat Tillman Award for Service in recognition of his work with the Invictus Games.
Throughout 2024 – Harry continues legal proceedings relating to media-related claims and personal security arrangements.
2025
2025 – Meghan relaunches her lifestyle venture under the name As Ever, expanding her activities in food, home and lifestyle products.
February 2025 – Netflix releases the first season of With Love, Meghan, a lifestyle series focused on cooking, entertaining and home life.
2025 – The first As Ever product range is released, including preserves, teas and a wider collection of lifestyle products.
August 2025 – Netflix releases a second season of With Love, Meghan.
2025 – The Duke and Duchess continue charitable work through the Archewell Foundation while undertaking media and commercial projects based in the United States.
2026
June 2026 – Reports emerge that Archie and Lilibet are expected to spend time in Britain for the first time in several years.
July 2026 – The Sussex family makes a private visit to Britain, including a reported meeting with King Charles III.
20 August 2026 – Multiple news organisations report that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to relocate to Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet before the start of the new school year. Reports indicate that the family will live privately and will not resume duties as working members of the Royal Family.
Looking Back
Few members of the Royal Family have experienced such a rapid and public transformation of their role. In the space of a decade, Harry and Meghan moved from a royal engagement and widely celebrated wedding to life outside the framework of official royal duties, establishing new charitable, media and commercial ventures in the United States.
The years following their departure from royal duties saw the creation of Archewell, major publishing and broadcasting projects, podcasting, documentary-making, legal battles, lifestyle branding and business ventures. Alongside these public developments, the couple also became parents to two children and established a family life in California.
The reported move back to Britain in 2026 therefore represents another significant milestone in a story that has unfolded in full view of the public since 2016. Whatever developments follow, the events listed above chart the principal milestones of one of the most closely watched chapters in modern royal history.