Prince Harry and Meghan touched down at Birmingham airport around midday yesterday without close police protection.
No publicly funded police convoy was provided for the family’s onward journey to their new home.
Instead, a private security team was on hand to escort them, with a van and two vehicles fitted with blacked-out windows waiting on the tarmac following their overnight transatlantic flight.
The arrival represents a significant shift for the couple, who departed the working Royal family six years ago. They now intend to spend time adjusting to life in Britain privately before their children begin school.
Prince Harry and Meghan touched down at Birmingham airport around midday yesterday without close police protection.
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Seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet are expected to enrol at a British school when the new term begins in September.
The family is believed to be settling into a property in the Cotswolds, an area where they previously rented a home.
Rather than committing exclusively to life in the UK, the Sussexes plan to operate as an “international” family, retaining their residences in both California and Portugal.
Their two dogs, Mia and Pula, have made the journey across the Atlantic with them.
The family is believed to be settling into a property in the Cotswolds, an area where they previously rented a home.
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GETTY
During a brief visit to Britain in July, the family were invited to Highgrove for tea with the King and Queen.
That gathering, which included both Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was reported to have been a positive occasion, though the substance of conversations between father and son remains undisclosed.
The Duke’s relationship with his brother, meanwhile, appears no closer to repair; the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry are understood to have no direct personal contact.
For Princess Lilibet, this marks only her third known trip to the country of her father’s birth.
The Sussexes forfeited their entitlement to round-the-clock taxpayer-funded police protection upon stepping back from official royal duties.
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Prince Archie, though born in Britain, left for Canada and subsequently the US with his parents before turning one.
The Sussexes forfeited their entitlement to round-the-clock taxpayer-funded police protection upon stepping back from official royal duties.
Their security is now assessed on a case-by-case basis, requiring advance notification of any planned visits to Britain.
Prince Harry has mounted extensive challenges to this arrangement, appealing both to Ravec, the Home Office body overseeing such decisions, and through the High Court.
He had previously maintained that bringing his family to the UK without state protection posed too great a risk.
A fresh risk assessment was conducted last month, though its conclusions have yet to be communicated to the couple.
The Duke is anticipated to undertake charitable work, including the WellChild awards in early September.
Meghan plans to continue running her As Ever brand. Neither will take up working royal roles again.

