After six years in California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are back on British soil — and they didn't exactly rough it on the way over. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in the UK with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, on Wednesday, 26 August. The Telegraph reported the family touched down around lunchtime at Birmingham Airport. It is, without question, the most talked-about landing Britain has seen in years.
The Jet That Would Make Most of Us Weep
This was never going to be an easyJet situation. The Sussexes chartered a long-range Bombardier Global Express XRS from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, through the California-based firm Planet Nine Private Air, at an estimated cost of approximately $12,000 per hour. According to Page Six, that hourly rate put the total bill at $120,000 — or well over £90,000 — for the transatlantic crossing. Quite the moving expense.
The luxury jet included five beds, two bathrooms, and storage for a maximum of 15 medium-sized suitcases — so comfort, at least, was never going to be an issue. Flight trackers logged the aircraft touching down at 11:56 a.m. local time.
"On the heels of a wonderful trip with family and friends this summer, Harry and Meghan have decided to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn. They are excited to have their children spend more time in the country that's such an important part of their family's story." — Sussex spokesperson, via The New York Times
The Dogs Made It. The Chickens Did Not.
So why go private at any cost, beyond the obvious? The answer, apparently, involves four paws. According to an insider, the couple made their expensive travel decision specifically for their dogs, who accompanied the Sussexes from Los Angeles to Birmingham. The pets — dogs Pula and Mia — made the journey, though the couple's chicken flock, kept at their Montecito estate, remained Stateside.
The choice of Birmingham Airport gave the family a strategically low-profile landing site compared to busier London hubs such as Heathrow or Gatwick. Notably, the couple were not provided with state-funded protection upon arrival. There were no blue lights, no formal escort — just the Sussex family slipping quietly into private vehicles and beginning their new British chapter.
A New Chapter — and a Conspicuous Absence From Balmoral
The transition back to Britain is set to last for "an extended period," with the Sussexes maintaining their home in Montecito, California. Sources indicate the couple intend to reside in the Cotswolds as private individuals, with no plans to resume official royal duties.
The schooling angle is no small detail either. A source close to the family told The Times that the delay in going public with the move came down to something entirely relatable: waiting on a school admissions decision. It emerged that the Sussexes intended to relocate for an "extended period of time," with one source telling the Daily Mail that Harry "will be here for the next 12 to 15 years minimum."
The Birmingham landing point has not gone unnoticed by royal watchers. Harry and Meghan exiled themselves six years ago amid royal family discord, and the family's arrival in the Midlands — rather than, say, Aberdeen — speaks volumes. The rest of the Royal Family are currently at Balmoral Castle for their annual summer retreat, and no invitation to Scotland appears to have been extended to the Duke of Sussex.
"They had to wait to be told whether or not their children had got in — just like many other people waiting in mid-August. There was no special treatment." — source close to the Sussexes, via The Times
What Comes Next
For now, the Sussexes' precise address remains under wraps for security reasons. The couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and relocated first to Canada, then California — a move Harry later described as their "freedom flight" in the couple's Netflix documentary series. Whether this return marks a genuine rapprochement with the institution they left so publicly, or simply a desire to give Archie and Lilibet an English autumn, remains the question Britain — and frankly, the world — is asking.
One thing's for certain: the Sussexes are back, the dogs are settled, and the chickens are fine in Montecito. The six-figure jet bill, meanwhile, will simply have to be written off as the cost of a very dramatic homecoming.
