London: Prince Harry and his family have arrived in Britain to begin their new lives at a private home in the English countryside, after flying from California on a charter jet.

Harry and his wife, Meghan, landed in Birmingham at around noon on Wednesday (9pm AEST) after six years in the United States, days before their two children are due to start school.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to move to the Cotswolds, an idyllic rural district in the south-west of England, where they will live in a private residence rather than a royal estate.

While their flight had been widely expected after news broke last week of their intention to return to the UK, their arrival at Birmingham triggered more headlines about their plans and the impact of their move on the rest of the royal family.

Their two children – Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 – are expected to start school next week, the beginning of the school year.

The BBC reported there was no police presence when the family left Birmingham International airport, and it said there was no statement from the prince about the travel.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the BBC: “This is not something we would comment on.”

Flight data suggests the family arrived on a Bombardier Global Express (GLEX) long-range business jet after a flight of about 10 hours. The flight records show the aircraft took off from Van Nuys, California, east of the family’s home at Montecito, near Santa Barbara.

While there was no statement from Buckingham Palace about the move last week, there was confirmation from royal sources about the move and a warning that it did not mean Harry would return to royal duties.

This means the couple will continue their private lives and cannot be “half in and half out” of the customary duties expected of the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex retain their titles but gave up their royal duties to live in California six years ago. Their frank disclosures about royal life in a Netflix series and a television interview with Oprah Winfrey have contributed to an ongoing rift within the royal family.

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