Sussex Children Switch Schools After Two Days

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved their two children to a different school after just two days of the new term.

Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, had returned to the United Kingdom with their parents after six years in California. The couple's representatives said the change followed talks with their private security team. The concerns involved the distance between the family's residence and the original school, heavy traffic, and the difficulty of keeping the daily commute safe. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said their choice did not reflect on the school's teaching quality, and they thanked the teachers and staff who received Archie and Lilibet. The residence and school locations remain private. Reports about people watching school grounds came out after the transfer was already made.

The move comes as Harry's security arrangements in Britain are under review. The couple has paid for their own protection since they stepped back from royal duties in 2020. Their eligibility for publicly funded police security is being looked at again now that they are back in Britain. Harry has said that Archie and Lilibet are happy at their new school.

The family moved back to the UK earlier this year after living in Montecito, California. The children started at the first school when the term opened. Two days in, the couple shifted them elsewhere. The representatives pointed to the travel time from the house to the campus, the traffic along the route, and the need to keep the drop-off manageable for a family with its own security detail. The couple did not name the schools involved.