Nearly five years ago, my husband and I made the same life-changing decision that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex just announced to the world. After having our two children in America, we decided to upend our lives and move to the United Kingdom.
My husband is British and, having grown up in the Cambridgeshire countryside, wanted to recreate his halcyon childhood for our own children. We now live an idyllic life in an old country cottage, and it has been a wonderful choice for our family, but not without some learning experiences.
It is a huge change to uproot your children and your life to move to a different country, even one that feels familiar, as Harry and Meghan are about to learn. Settling into daily life in England has been, in a word, humbling. I had to accept that I didn't know everything – at times I felt I didn't know anything – and learn to ask for help.
© Christine RossI wonder if Meghan will also find herself in the yoghurt aisle of Waitrose, on the verge of tears, trying to find a non-GMO option for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's breakfast. In case you didn't know, as I didn't at the time, almost all British food products are considered non-GMO. I found many of my parenting anxieties, like what yoghurt to choose, eased when I came to the United Kingdom. Food standards are generally higher, which meant I didn’t have to read every food label.
Safety standards for car seats are tested differently and seem safer. "Risk assessment" has become a common phrase, meaning that playgrounds, activities, classes, and schools have all been assessed and adjusted to mitigate potential risks. There are small accommodations all around daily life, from Parent and Child parking spaces to free babyccinos, that make life with young children easier.
© InstagramI hope Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet embrace the natural world in Britain, and can enjoy forest school, RSPB walks, and the untamed parts of the countryside.
More rigorous school system
When researching schools for my own children, there were a lot of surprises. Children generally start school a full year before their American counterparts, and face a much more rigorous curriculum than what is expected in American schools. The oft-maligned school WhatsApp groups will be an eye-opening experience if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle choose to join, featuring endless inquiries on lost jumpers and reminders on school events.
Even little things, like whether a child has sewn-in name tape or a surname scribbled in Sharpie, can become a cultural minefield to navigate. Imagine opening your child's backpack and finding a jumper with a name label that says "Prince Archie of Sussex"!
Meghan was very open about her struggles settling into British life earlier in her marriage. Under the harsh spotlight of life as a working member of the royal family, and close to the paparazzi and tabloid epicentre in London, she must have felt like an ant under a magnifying glass. Meghan said she found the Brits cold and harsh, which is far from my own experiences of warmth, kindness, and friendship, but I was not stepping into an ancient institution. Royal life clearly weighed heavily on the Duchess of Sussex, as she revealed to Oprah in 2021 that there was a period where she only left the house twice in four months.
Village life and time outdoors is the way forward
The best way to avoid that experience this time around is to seek out the rolling hills and fields of the countryside. Sources say that the Sussex family plan to settle outside of London, which I think is the best choice for their family. Village life in the countryside might be the unexpected solution to finding the privacy they have craved.
© Christine RossMy own village is full of charming old ladies who swap recipes and coo over my children; the breaking news of the day is the midday rain shower rather than any royal news. While some may harbour private judgements about the Sussexes, their stiff upper lips and British manners wouldn't slip enough to share them. Instead, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might find friendly neighbours to greet on their dog walks along the sprawling footpaths, and a protective community that would provide no welcome to paparazzi or journalists.
Despite Prince Harry and Meghan's ups and downs over the last few years, I find myself shifting in my own feelings towards them. I wonder how they will navigate the process of stocking a new house from scratch (when in doubt, order it from John Lewis!) and learning the differences in shopping culture (you can't argue with customer service agents or retail assistants – in my experience, the customer is always wrong!)
I hope Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet embrace the natural world in Britain, and can enjoy forest school, RSPB walks, and the untamed parts of the countryside. As they make this enormous change, facing quite a lot of scrutiny, I wish them well and hope they can find half the happiness I have found here in England.
See more from Christine on her Instagram @bychristineross
