Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have moved Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to another school after just two days, after their security team concluded that the daily journey between the family's new British home and the original school posed logistical problems that couldn't be adequately managed.
The abrupt switch comes only weeks after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to Britain following six years in California. Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, began the new school year this month, marking a significant part of the family's effort to establish a life in the U.K.
"The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family's security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements," a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said.
The spokesperson stressed that the decision wasn't prompted by concerns about the school or its treatment of the children. "The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family," the spokesperson said. "This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there."
The problem instead centered on the school run. Reuters reported that the distance between the Sussexes' home and the original school, combined with heavy traffic in the area, had raised concerns for the family's security team. The locations of both the family home and the children's schools have been withheld for security and privacy reasons.
HELLO! reported that an incident during the commute made it difficult for the family's security vehicles to remain together in convoy. The security team had inspected the school during the summer, but couldn't fully evaluate the school run until classes resumed and normal term-time traffic returned.
The children had apparently settled comfortably into the original school despite their brief stay. A friend of the couple told HELLO!: "It's a real shame, because they absolutely adored the school, the kids and their parents. It was perfect for them in every way, and the children really enjoyed their time there."
"They really wanted to make it work, but they had to make a difficult decision based on the fact that the team couldn't make the school run operationally secure," the friend added.
Archie and Lilibet have since moved to another school in the area. HELLO! reported that they visited the new school for a trial day Monday, with Harry seen accompanying Lilibet as she settled into Reception.
The school disruption coincides with a broader reassessment of the Sussexes' security following their return to Britain. ITV News reported that the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, commonly known as RAVEC, has informed Harry that his security arrangements will undergo a full review now that he is again living in the U.K.
Meghan's circumstances are also being reassessed for the first time since the couple left Britain in 2020, according to Reuters. Harry's security situation had already been examined in July, before the family relocated to the U.K.
Security has been one of Harry's most persistent disputes with the British government since he and Meghan stepped back as working members of the royal family in 2020. The couple lost their automatic entitlement to the same publicly funded police protection arrangements they had received while carrying out official royal duties.
Harry subsequently challenged the government's approach in court, arguing that the security arrangements made it difficult for him to bring his family safely to Britain. His effort to overturn the decision ultimately failed, leaving protection to be determined through individual assessments rather than an automatic entitlement.
The family's return has changed the practical circumstances behind those assessments. Harry and Meghan are now raising two school-age children in Britain, making regular journeys between their home, school and other activities part of their security considerations. RAVEC has requested information about their schedules and routines as part of its assessment, ITV News reported.
