Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are moving schools after just two days following security concerns over getting them to and from the original property.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children spent two days as new starters, meeting their classmates last week, only for their parents to reluctantly decide to withdraw them on the advice of their security team.
Sources close to the couple have made clear there was no issue with the school itself, but rather with the practicalities of getting them there and back.
Heavy traffic in the area and the distance between the school and where they are living are thought to have been contributing factors, putting their small, private security team under strain. One incident made it difficult for their vehicles to stay in convoy, which raised further concerns.
© Getty ImagesBodyguards for the Sussexes carried out checks on the first school over the summer holidays, when Harry and Meghan made their decision to return, but were not able to properly recce the school run until the first day of term.
"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," a friend of the couple tells HELLO!
Archie, seven, and Lili, five, will now join another school in the area after visiting for a taster session on Monday. Prince Harry was spotted settling Lili into reception and the couple have been added to the parents' whatsapp groups.
A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess told HELLO! “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.
© Instagram"The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family. This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there."
Those in Prince Harry’s camp will see the abrupt move as further evidence of his need for better security provision while living in the UK.
The news of the school move comes as Meghan has been granted her first government-backed security review since departing royal life in 2020. She and Harry have been asked by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) to provide details of their daily routines, including the school run, to evaluate any changes to the threat they face.
© Instagram/ @meghanHarry has been battling to have his VIP police protection reinstated since September 2021 and pursued a legal challenge through the courts until May 2025, when he lost his case at the Court of Appeal.
At the time, he told the BBC: "I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point."
But last December, it emerged that Ravec’s Risk Management Board would review his case, a process that began in July this year.
The issue again came into focus during the family’s trip to the UK in June, when Meghan pulled out of planned public appearances alongside Harry, with their team citing security concerns in central London. In August, Harry and Meghan announced that they would be moving back to the UK with their children for an extended period, with Archie and Lili subsequently enrolled at a school in the area where they are now living.
The Duke is due to make a string of public appearances in the coming days, but it has not yet been confirmed whether the Duchess will join him.
