Prince Harry’s first cousin, Lady Eliza Spencer, is the first family member to speak out about his return to the UK, six years after he stepped back from royal duties alongside his wife, Meghan Markle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down in England on Wednesday with their two kids, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, before the start of their school term in September.
Lady Eliza speaks out
While the royal family have remained tight-lipped about Harry and Meghan’s return, Lady Eliza shared her true feelings on seeing her cousin again after a lengthy time apart.
“It’s exciting!” she told The Mirror at a launch event for her Lala V rosé brand on Wednesday night. “We would love to be able to find some time to visit.” When asked if she would swap wine-making tips with Meghan, who launched her own rosé with her As Ever brand in 2025, the 34-year-old simply replied: “Maybe!”
A tight-knit family
© Getty ImagesEliza is the daughter of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, and his first wife, Victoria Aitken. She is also the niece of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, and was just five years old when the late royal passed away in 1997.
“We were five, but we remember going to the beach with her, and her being a very gentle and kind and sweet figure in our lives,” Eliza told The Standard of her bond with Diana. “We thought it couldn’t be real [when she died].”
See more of Eliza and her fiancé, Channing Millerd, below…
Eliza attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 alongside her siblings Lady Kitty, Lady Amelia and Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp. When asked by The Mirror if the royal couple would be attending her wedding to Channing Millerd, she assured that family members would be on the guest list.
Harry is particularly close with his mother’s side of the family, and even stayed with his uncle at Diana’s ancestral home, Althorp House, in July. During the trip, he spent time with his extended family and took his wife and kids to visit Diana’s grave on the grounds.
Moving back to the UK
Just one month after they visited the UK, news broke that Harry and Meghan were moving back after six years in the US, and they had already enrolled their children in British schools. King Charles was made aware of his son’s plans less than two weeks before they touched down on British soil, and was said to welcome the opportunity to see more of Harry and his family.
The pair stepped back from royal duties in 2020, and will remain as private individuals and non-working royals during their time in the UK. Archie will enter Year Five at school, while Lilibet will join a Year Three class.
© Getty ImagesArchie and Lilibet’s schooling
The prince and princess may have some catching up to do when they begin the school term, as Grace Moody-Stuart, Consultancy Director at The Good Schools Guide, told HELLO!
“I do know that academically [US schools] are a bit behind,” she explained. “Our system is much more structured from a very early age. So, when people move from the US, they tend to have to catch up a bit with the English curriculum.”
She added that school days look different than what they might have grown familiar with in the US.
“[School] starts early in the morning, and then there’s plenty of time for activities, sport, music in the afternoon. The school days are long. Instead of picking up a child at 3:30 pm, which you might do in a primary school, you might be picking them up at 5:00 pm or even 6 pm,” Grace said.
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